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Armstrong Williams is called "one of the most recognizable conservative voices in America" by The Washington Post. Williams is a pugnacious, provocative and principled voice for conservatives and Christian values in America's public debates.

Political Pulse Blog

03/31/15President Obama minority lack of progress

BY: Armstrong Williams

President Obama and lack of minority progress

According to a scholarly paper published in March 2014 by University of San Diego political science professors Zoltan Hijnal and Jeremy Horowitz entitled Racial Winners and Losers in American Politics, over the past fifty years black have fared significantly better under Democratic administrations than Republican Administrations. According to an empirical study of census data between 1948 and 2010, “African Americans tend to experience substantial gains under Democratic presidents whereas they tend to incur significant losses or remain stagnant under Republicans.”

But that trend has not held true under the current Obama administration. In all three measures covered under the study – poverty, income and unemployment – blacks have fared worse under the Obama administration than under the previous administration. And yet the rallying cry of Democrats has been to resort to fear-mongering, essentially arguing that Republicans will deny black the right to vote and rescind social welfare programs popularized since the civil rights era. The fact remains, however, that the Obama administration has failed miserably at preserving civil rights era legislation (for the first time in 50 years sections of the voting rights act were struck down), and miserable at preserving black wealth and economic opportunities.

03/26/15Obama and inner city americans

BY: Armstrong Williams

Obama and Innercity America

God morning :

We are finally at a point in this country where the civil rights era politics have worn too thin to serve as a freedom suit. First, they are not as relevant to today’s political realities. No one is talking about taking away anyone’s vote or instituting a system of de jure segregation. And yet in practice, blacks have found themselves isolated and gerrymandered on the local level – ultimately unable to build coalitions to advocate for broad-based change within the Democratic Party ghetto. Furthermore, blacks are starting to fall behind economically – and not just at the lower levels of the socio-economic spectrum. Even black college graduates have fallen prey to intractable unemployment in a rapidly changing economic climate for all Americans.

The point here is that the price of identity politics may have proved to be too high. That is, by overcommitting to the Obama administration the black leadership may have failed to strengthen and develop relationships in the business and corporate community that have generally considered Obama’s economic policies inimical to growth. But then there is the cost of the Obama Presidency itself. Obama has generally gone out his way to seem race-neutral with respect to black issues in a way that no prior President would ever have to. He has not spoken out forcefully against systemic factors that have kept blacks mired in poverty and unemployment – specifically the system of local governments over-fining and criminalizing citizens for minor infractions as a fundraising strategy. The Justice Department’s report on the police and court system in Ferguson provides a scathing condemnation of these practices. It is worth noting that these draconian practices – which are frankly reminiscent of something out of a Dickens novel - have taken hold in states like Ohio and California, which have liberal Obama-supporters in the Governor’s mansions.

03/03/15When it Comes to Iran and Israel, Obama is Way Off Target

When it Comes to Iran and Israel, Obama is Way Off Target

The unelected mullahs in Iran must be having a hearty laugh this week, enjoying the spectacle of the Obama Administration falling over itself to drive a wedge between America and our vital Middle East ally Israel.

For a wartime president who campaigned on pledges to end conflicts in the Middle East, his latest actions suggest that he may be just the man to keep them burning and to even ignite new ones.

In Washington a firestorm of controversy has been sparked, but not over Iran's continued intransigence, its stonewalling of international arms inspectors, or even its expanding sphere of deadly influence in the Middle East and gross repression of civil and human rights. Instead, the President’s minions are playing politics to discredit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before he addresses a joint session of Congress on the very real threat posed by Iran’s nuclear arms program.

The absurdity of the world’s superpower undercutting the only Western-style democracy in the Middle East would be laughable if it weren’t deadly serious for this country, Israel and the rest of the world.

At this very moment, government officials whose salaries are paid by American taxpayers are actually cooking up ways to harm America’s relationship with an ally that serves as a bulkhead against radical Islamic terrorist forces in the Middle East and cooperates closely with us on myriad arenas ranging from intelligence, defense and homeland security to agriculture and biotechnology.

02/23/15Ambition

BY: Armstrong Williams

Ambition

Looking back on the past couple of years, it’s hard for me to imagine the progress we’ve made in our businesses and pet projects. If someone were to tell me that my vision of owning broadcast television stations in four regional markets would actually have come to fruition in that time, it would have been hard to believe. After all, so many things had to come together to make this a reality: meeting the right business partner at the right time with the right opportunity. A rigorous and delicate financial and regulatory qualification process would have to fall in place just right. And that’s not even covering the dozens and dozens of other contingencies that were sure to arise during the process. Surely this grand vision would be difficult if not impossible to accomplish.

And it would not have gotten accomplished had the vision remained in the planning stage. Only when we began taking steps towards realizing these objectives did the path start to open up. This is an important lesson in business and in life. It’s easy to get caught up in the thinking and planning stage of an important venture. After all, the motto goes, failing to plan means planning to fail. That is true to some extent obviously. One would not show up to battle without armor and weaponry, and one would not show up to play a tennis match without bringing a racket and shoes. Lack of preparation is a major factor many failures in life. But there’s also a danger of overthinking and over-planning that can be just fatal to reaching one’s objectives.

02/19/15Our National Security predicament

national security predicament....one more time BY: Armstrong Williams

I was watching a news show, and like a favored talisman every liberal feels obliged to cite the "original sin" of GW Bush in assessing our situation now in the Mideast. To be more accurate, it would be better to blame the British for the "real original sin" of how they carved up the region in the wake of the fall of the Ottomans, but I digress. Here's the facts:

The record since then has been one of constant, systematic failure on the part of this administration.

In Egypt, where they deposed a 30 year US ally (and frightened the Gulf monarchies), to support the Muslim Brotherhood. And now to compound the error by only perfunctorily supporting Sisi even though he is now fighting ISIS in Libya.

In Libya, where they ignored the War Powers Act to participate in a measure to overthrow Quaddafi (OK) but had no post-war plan and thus left a region of chaos ripe for Islamic extremists to flourish.

In Syria, where misguided comments on red lines highlighted a brain-dead and feckless approach. His, "I didn't draw red lines, the world did" remark takes the prize for the most idiotic, and downright embarrassing, statement by a POTUS in my lifetime (and I include "I did not have sex with that woman...." and "If you like your healthcare, you can keep it").

In Iraq, where a precipitous withdrawal has destabilized the country and made the ISIS phenomenon a growing concern.

In Yemen, where just 3 months after the president pointed it out as a "success" the US backed government has fallen and a Iran-leaning gang of thugs holds sway.

My conclusion - allusions or blame, at this time, for GW Bush are a complete copout. GW Bush cleaned up his mess with the surge. BHO was left in a stable, and tenable position. He has squandered that with both hands. Why do we ignore present difficulties to go back to an argument you think you can win, please explain the "genius" of BHO's strategy in the region. It would be best if we simply say, "well, he was dealt a tough hand by events." That would not be true but it would save the embarrassment of trying to blame on GWB what is manifestly BHO's fault.

Williams is Manager and Sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings.

02/16/15NuAmerican

BY: Armstrong Williams

NuAmerican

The corporate execs want a legitimized low wage, hard working labor force. The government is working hand-in-hand with corporations to incentivize passing over a qualified American black applicant for a similarly qualified nuAmerican. Now they don’t have to worry about punitive legal actions or bad PR, they get to hire a minority nuAmerican.

I say nuAmerican because they are. They share no common culture or history with this country. Their families live abroad and most of their money is wired back to Mexico or Latin America to help the economy in those countries. Their allegiance, and family home, is elsewhere.

02/10/15Pearls of wisdom

Pearls of wisdom

BY: Armstrong Williams

The ultimate harm in overthinking things comes from the dissipation of the will. After all, willpower is like an exhaustible muscle. It only has so much utility before it ultimately gives out. That is why striking when the iron is hot has always been such an important factor in ultimate success. Acting upon opportunity when it presents itself often helps us leapfrog the sometimes arduous process of sorting and sifting through opportunities for the right one. But more importantly, taking action towards a goal, especially a goal that involves the participation of others, helps commit us to taking further action even when the going gets tough. Imagine getting the inspiration to swim across a river. Half way across, your will power gives out and you want to quit. But then the fear of drowning kicks in and propels you to the other side. And so it is in life when some endeavors once begun cannot be abandoned until they are completed.

02/09/15The Teflon Don of Civil Rights

The Teflon Don of Civil Rights --

Rev. Al Sharpton seems to have learned this lesson long ago: When you’re a controversial civil rights leader who’s made a career out of harassing the cops and embarrassing the government, never keep any assets in your own name. But that has never prevented authorities from vigorously inspecting the good reverend’s personal and organizational finances over the years, and often coming up with troves of improprieties, ranging from misappropriation, to delinquency and possibly fraud. And yet even when the government seemed to have Sharpton squarely within its’ sights, his organization hobbled by the costs of litigation, fines and arrears assessed for unpaid taxes, none of it seemed to stick.

He has repeatedly stuck his thumb in the eye of the best laid plans for his demise, and risen to a level of mainstream power and influence that belies what many feel is at best an unorthodox style, and at worst, a cynical exploitation of the suffering of the people he purports to represent. Certainly Sharpton’s role in the tawdry Tawana Brawley hoax, and his subsequent conviction for defamation for his role in tarnishing the careers and reputations of the falsely accused police officers, should been enough to bury him for good. But the lessons he learned early on stood him in good stead. When the cameras are on, Sharpton seems to be literally everywhere. But when it comes time to pay the bill for that infamously earned publicity, he vanishes into a cloud of impalpable smoke. What assets does he own? Who pays his expenses? How does he manage to get around the country and set up shop at a moment’s notice each time there is a controversy involving the police and African Americans? Those are questions that government officials have tied themselves in knots trying to answer over the years, mostly to no avail.

02/06/15Brian Williams and NBC

Brian Williams and NBC

BY: Armstrong WilliamsBrian Williams has been telling and embellishing the same lie for years. Why would top brass at NBC allow the continuation of this tale, given that several military vets quietly led a campaign for years demanding a retraction? On Wednesday night Williams with no hint of humility on “NBC Nightly News” apologize for misleading the public.

Well, that apology has created a fire storm and it is now being rumored that Tom Brokaw has met privately with NBC executives and made it clear that Williams should resign immediately.

Why continue such a lie when you know that you are the face and trust of one of the most important nightly news shows in the world ? Why would NBC Executives allow their credibility further eroded, when their have been credible challenges by military vets and outrage for years ? What are we missing in this bizarre and developing story of credibility, trust, honor, and character ?

01/23/15Tehran

BY: Armstrong Williams

Tehran

When it comes to Iran we need more pressure not less if we are ever going to compel the Iranians to give up their nuclear ambitions, which have the potential to further destabilize the Middle East and spark an atomic arms race.

At the moment, we are all carrot and no stick so Tehran is all to happy to engage in this charade while marching steadily toward its goal of possessing the deadliest arms known to mankind. It already has the ballistic missile capacity to deliver them.

The shocking part is the length to which the White House is trying to muzzle a measured, rational and reasonable Congress and essentially doing the bidding of Iran.

01/22/15Age of Ignorance

BY: Armstrong Williams

Age of Ignorance

When ideological purity is forced at the point of the sword, there is little or no wiggle room for dissent. Any idea that conflicts with the party line is met with instant recrimination.When the alternatives are obey or die, any difference of opinion becomes a de facto act of violence.The editors at Hebdo understand that the pen becomes a bullet. Their goal was to provoke a reaction, and they were not naïve about the implications.And that’s why they are true martyrs for freedom. And so, while we may not be willing to use their crude language in polite company, the writers at Hebdo have forced our hand as a society.We have no choice but to vociferously defend their right to speak freely even if it angers and incenses violent extremists. We will not coddle, we will not side-step we will not walk on eggshells for fear of ruffling fundamentalist feathers.Doing so would create a dangerous precedent which would have monstrous implications for our society. Imagine a return to the ages of ignorance where if a religious authority says it’s dark at noon, everyone fawningly agrees and starts stumbling into each other.

01/21/15Call Islamic extremist what they are

Call Islamic extremist what they are ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

The last major Christian atrocity people can point to the Spanish Inquisition, and that ended over 200 years ago. In six centuries, the Inquisition turned over about the same number of people for execution (2000) as Boko Haram killed in a weekend.

The fact is, here and now, Jihadists are the number 1 cause of violent extremism in the world. There is a problem.

It is not insensitive to point this out. It is insensitive to make excuses for these dregs of humanity.

Rather than saying, “Not all Muslims are like that,” the apologists should be talking about how other religions have faced down such issues and what needs to be done to fight those violent extremists from within the Islamic community itself.

We know that the West itself can never defeat such terror completely. The victory over extremism must come from within. It is time for the stable and peaceful Muslim countries and peoples of the world to come together and rip out this cancer themselves.

12/23/14Elizabeth Warren

BY: Armstrong Williams

Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren opposes the“CRominibus” provision that would restore FDIC insurance for high-risk trading in derivatives. Warren democrats have already jumped out in opposition to the change. By removing the Dodd-Frank separation of derivatives trading from federally insured traditional banking, the “CRomnibus” spending bill effectively restores federal insurance for the kind of high-risk derivatives trading that over-leveraged Wall Street and toppled the economy in 2008.

POLICY

Indemnifying bankers against losses from high-risk derivatives trading means bankers reap rewards without risk, while taxpayers assume risk without rewards. It essentially would let derivatives traders on Wall Street gamble with taxpayer money and get bailed out by the government when their risky bets threaten to blow up our financial system. In other words: Private profits, socialized losses.

LOGIC

This is an anti-market, anti-middle class provision:

12/12/14Bill Cosby

BY: Armstrong Williams

Bill Cosby

In light of recent sexual assault allegations by over a dozen women, one wonders whether that imaged belied a private darkness that expressed itself in the drugging and raping of women, primarily young blond white women. While none of these allegations have been proven in court and each deserves to be scrutinized in light of its own unique circumstances, certainly the sheer number of accusers (17 and counting have gone public thus far) and the similarity of their stories hints at a pattern of abuse covering six of the seven decades of Cosby’s entertainment career. It almost goes without saying that Cosby is not the first, nor will he be the last powerful entertainment industry figure to use his position and influence to coerce young women into sexual situations. The ‘casting couch’ culture is as old as Hollywood itself.

While unproven, the allegations against Cosby are too substantial to just ignore. If any part of them is true (and there is reason to believe that at least some of his accusers are telling the truth) then it points to a very dangerous situation that needs to be addressed in the appropriate clinical setting. It is probably too late for Cosby though. His taciturn and trite reaction to these recent allegations suggests that he is set in his ways, beyond even the capacity to acknowledge that he may have harmed others.

Perhaps, however, Cosby will be concerned enough about the value his legacy to seek help and seek forgiveness from the victims of his behavior. Many powerful men over the years have been brought to their knees at some point during their careers by allegations of sexual misconduct. It seems that those who’ve accepted the truth and worked to change their behavior have had the most success at redemption in a country known around the world for its unique propensity for granting second chances.

There is not much left that can be said about the Michael Brown case in Ferguson. Minds have been made up and battle lines drawn.

But this case, and several others, points out a disturbing trend in American policing—the militarization and shoot first mentality of too many departments and officers today.

Whether or not Darren Wilson did that right thing is something you have already decided. Every piece of evidence you will hear will reinforce your own confirmation bias whether it bolsters or undermines your opinion.

What no one can argue is that it never should have gotten to that point and there should have been a less permanent solution for Wilson to enact if his life was truly threatened.

American officers first line of defense is the gun. Officers are taught to shoot center mass to put a threat down as soon as possible as it is the biggest and easiest target. Only in a TV show are movie can law enforcement easily shoot the arms and legs of perps.

So when a policeman decides it is time to pull out the gun, his or her training will automatically direct them to a kill shot.

Cops are also trained to try to defuse situations, and by far and large, most do.

12/05/14Destructive Immigration executive order for innercity America

BY: Armstrong Williams

Destructive immigration executive order for inner city America

No one, not one single person in the black community should applaud Obama’s amnesty for Hispanics push. Think, for just a second, who is rewarded by this action.

Legal aliens do not want this, they are paying their dues and taxes, yet will see no benefit.

Legal Hispanics do not want this; it casts illegitimacy on their own legacy and accomplishments.

Asians do not want this; it brings no benefit to them.

main stream conservatives do not want this; it destabilizes the economy, the polity, and the rule of law.

Blacks should not want this, but many overwhelmingly go along with it despite the fact that amnesty directly hurts blacks more than any other group.

The only people that want this are white liberals and corporate executives.

12/04/14A Tale of Two Cities

BY: Armstrong Williams

A Tale of two Cities

The tale of two cities.

Was actually shocked that the grand jury didn't issue an indictment in the Eric Garner NY case. The role of the Grand Jury is not too convict, but determine probable cause. A sensible view of the tape clearly indicates that the NY cops were using excessive force. Without a doubt from the tape, it was not their intent to kill Gardner. The issue is not whether they were trying to kill him but whether they used excessive force. One must always consider that our Rule of Law gives the benefit of the doubt to the defendant, especially if the accused is law enforcement. Policemen in the line of duty make split seconds decisions and they are not always correct even with the best of training.

The proper response to this decision are the exemplary peaceful protesting in NY with no violence or looters. New yorkers are sending several message to the political establishment and the world. Their is never a reason for violence and looting when we vehemently disagree with verdicts by the Grand or any Jury. They also remind us that policeman must exercise more control in their duties and suspects don't have to die in the process.

12/01/14Isis Challenge

BY: Armstrong WilliamsIsis ChallengeISIS, although complex and challenging, is an issue that can be addressed, and ultimately destroyed, without the commitment of American conventional combat forces on the ground. The deterioration of the middle east order, is a vexing challenge, but there are a variety of national security options and paths to consider, if the administration was willing to listen. This administration lacks the creativity, understanding and shear brain power to first understand the issues, and then craft an approach to deal with several things at the same time.

11/26/14At war with Radical Islamist

BY: Armstrong Williams

At war with Radical Islamist

When are we going to admit to ourselves that this nation, under God, is currently under fire. Muslim extremists are beheading our citizens overseas, gaining political strength at home, overrunning fractious societies in Europe and wreaking havoc in every part of the globe. It’s considered non-PC to admit what should be plainly obvious: we may not think that we are at war with radical Islamic, but they are clearly at war with us.

The sooner we admit this to ourselves, the sooner we can commit ourselves to prevailing over the people who hope that we wake up too late to the threat, or will be cowed by their actions.

11/25/14Ferguson Decision

BY: Armstrong Williams

Ferguson decision

There was disappointment and outrage with the prosecutors announcement of the grand jury decision in the case of police officer Darren Wilson. A grand jury declined to indict Wilson in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Michael Brown. Wilson will face no state charges.

Despite misgivings about the decision, we are a nation of laws and should respect the outcome of these sad and deteriorating situations. There are no winners in this case and only losers for the long term. Given the evidence and testimony during the grand jury investigation, they were left with little choice in dropping all charges against officer Wilson.

We all should understand evidence and due process and such. But the fact is that many given the history of the Ferguson Police force felt they could not be trusted to investigate the matter themselves, and it took both state and federal oversight.

The very real issue of police power and abuse of authority raised in the Ferguson situation are just too critical to survival of many right now to play cutesy with. We must revisit how police officers are trained and what images they have deeply ingrained in their minds on what is the profile of a criminal .

To explain Marion Barry’s almost cult-like appeal to non-Washingtonians is an almost impossible task. To many around the country Barry is the poster-child of official corruption run amok. Certainly the Federal government felt so, and they went out of their way to expose his weaknesses in a very public fashion. But to many native Washingtonians, it was those very flaws that made him such an endearing character. The everyday citizen who may have been down on her luck could relate to Barry’s flaws. In a sense, being who he was in the position he occupied made the least powerful feel like they fit in somewhere. Whatever their situation was, they knew they had someone they could go to who at least spoke their language.

Marion Barry’s many personal flaws have been more than adequately explored in the public eye, and so they do not bear repeating here. I have never been one to judge someone by their media portrayal in any case. Over the last couple of years, I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know the former Mayor up close. We began a discussion about the possible collaboration on a local news talk show that would be hosted by Barry. As a result we would meet regularly for lunch at the Monocle restaurant near my office on Capitol Hill.And despite having been out of the Mayor’s office for over fifteen years, Mayor Barry was still one of the most recognized faces in the city.People couldn’t help but gawk when seeing us dining together.

11/21/14Our Economy

BY: Armstrong Williams

Our Economy

Wall Street financial performance, which many view as a significant cause of the recession in the first place, has reached record levels over the past year. And so the President has had to carefully temper his desire to trumpet the top line economic numbers, with the reality that the recovery has been unevenly distributed -- the lion’s share of gains going to investors and not wage earners.

Who do we have to thank for the robust economic recovery? Who’s to blame for its uneven distribution? Some economists have pointed out that ending the extension of Federal unemployment benefits created a more motivated labor force, and putting in place the budget deal in 2011 that resulted in reducing the national debt, have put the country on firmer financial footing. This was not a popular medicine to be sure, and the political fallout from the impasse over the debt ceiling is seen as having hurt Republicans who stuck to their guns in favoring growth over distribution.

11/18/14Muslim extremist

BY: Armstrong Williams

Muslim extremist

It’s true that not every terrorist in the world is a Muslim. But it is also true that radical Muslims are at the core of violence all across the globe, and with every passing day the scope of conflict is increasing.

We hear all the time about the so-called silent majority of Muslims who abhor this type of violence, who practice a religion of peace that celebrates the teaching of the Prophet. Yet, why are they so often silent when it comes to speaking out loudly, in one voice, to clearly denounce the twisted mindset and murderous violence pursued by those who claim to act in the name of Islam? Perhaps it’s because many are sympathetic, perhaps it’s because many of them are also afraid.

American values means standing up for what we believe, and refusing to be intimidated and threatened by those who care more about tearing down our society than building one for themselves. We can continue down the current path we are on, or we can decide to act more forcefully.

11/17/14Our destructive Education system

BY: Armstrong Williams

Our destructive education system

It took us 50 years to destroy our education system and now we are forced to deal with the wasted lives it produces. But if we started tomorrow with the kindergartens and made sure that proper facilities and teacher competencies were at a high standard and then extended that goal one grade per year, in 13 years we would live in a whole new world. Young, ignorant, poor men are the problem--whether you are dealing with gangs in the inner city or Muslim jihadists. Ignorance leads to poverty and lack of hope. The poverty and lack of hope leads to anger, self-depreciation, and a hatred of self and everything around them. (This why they burn down their own neighborhoods.) Add those ingredients to testosterone (young men) and you have the makings for chaos, destruction, and death. The cycle begins with ignorance—the way to stop the cycle is education!

11/12/14Continuing to remember Veterans

BY: Armstrong Williams

Continuing to remember Veterans

By coming together yesterday in a large communal ritual, we reinforced the notion that our soldiers, these people, have actually died. And that they died to strengthen our individual freedoms.

After the fighting, some of our soldiers returned home with tattered minds and spirits, only to be held in lower regard than the enemy they had struggled to defeat. Some were still relegated to the back of the bus because of the color of their skin; others never lived long enough to see the civil rights legislation of the 60s. Yet they fought for an idea so powerful that it moved many of them to die for their country.We must never forget the tremendous sacrifice our Veterans continue to make for the American way of life.

We cannot forget that what is best about this country rests on their shoulders.With this in mind, do something different today.

Continuing visiting cemeteries and place flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.Visit memorials and fly U.S. flags at half-staff often and pledge to aid the disabled veterans, widows, widowers and orphans of those that died in conflicts and wars.

11/11/14Index of Culture

BY: Armstrong Williams

Index of Culture

In a recently released study entitled The 2014 Index of Culture and Opportunity, the Heritage foundation tracked 31 “cultural” indicators – marriage rates, out of wedlock births, teen drug use, religious participation, violent crime, and others. The report then presented them alongside “opportunity” indicators – high school graduation rate, labor force participation rate, job openings rate, etc. The findings were interesting, although not so much the conclusions Heritage drew from them.

Perhaps least surprising that marriage rates declined significantly in the ten years (2001-2012) covered by the study. Although marriage rates have trended down since the 1960s, the decline seemed to accelerate during the great recession, declining more than 10% during over a ten year period. Over the same period, the unwed birth rate increased by almost seven percent. And yet the overall birthrate declined as well, continuing a trend that started in the 1970’s of low birth rates. Significantly, birth rates have declined precipitously among Latinos and African Americans who in the past had both very high birth rates. Surprisingly, abortion rates are way down too. So, as a nation, we are getting married less often and having fewer babies, but a greater percentage of the children that are born, are born out of wedlock. The obvious question here is whether these trends are the result of changes in the opportunity structure, or whether they are in fact affecting the level of opportunity in the country.

The megachurch is not a new phenomenon, after all the Anglican Catholic churches became behemoths in the middle-ages in Europe, mostly under the sanction of kings. But today’s megachurch is a distinctly American institution. They are essentially corporations spurred on by the same growth imperative that drives corporate America – which is to say not just growth in terms of the spread of the teachings of Christ, but growth as a corporate entity.

But it is not the megachurch phenomena that as caused this moral decay. After all Megachurches are basically a child of Christian conservatism. They began to evolve in the 1980s, chiefly spurred by a reaction to the moral licensciousness of the 1960s and 1970s. Rather it is the fatal admixture of the megachurch phenomenon and a spurious form of ministerial fraud called prosperity theology. These Churches, New Bethel, World Changers International and other megachurches preaching the gospel of prosperity have unfortunately led the flock down the wrong path. For many poor people, and many blacks and recent Latino immigrants, the gospel of prosperity has replaced liberation theology as a form of spiritual freedom. It tells the faithful that God wants them to be rich, and that material wealth is a sign of the blessing of God in their lives.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s recent speech before at a conference on income inequality sponsored by Credit Suisse ruffled a lot of feathers, both on the right and the left of the political spectrum.In the speech she cited data indicating that income inequality in America was the worst it’s been since the great depression, and suggested that a continuation of the trend would have dire consequences on consumer spending and hence future economic growth.

Pundits on the right were quick to pounce on Yellen’s analysis. In an interview in the Daily Caller, Heritage Foundation economists Stephen Moore and Joel Griffen pointed out that income growth among the middle class had greatly outpaced the top 5 percent form 1982-1997, and argued that if it weren’t for the great recession of 2008, that trend would have continued. Furthermore, they contend, it was the Obama Administration’s own economic policies that have exacerbated income inequality over the past half-decade – essentially by creating a jobless economic recovery driven by asset price inflation that primarily benefitted people whose income is derived from capital gains rather than wages.

11/06/14The people have spoken

BY: Armstrong Williams

The people have spoken

It was most disheartening watching our commander n chief press conference on yesterday. He displayed little humility and was defiant that he would continue his veto power in the new congress. Why must leaders learn the hard way and at the expense of their party and the people that continue believing in their leadership? Only time and a reawakening to the new reality of the changing political landscape will eventually bring Mr. Obama to his senses.

The facts are the facts. Voters across the nation expressed their discontent with President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Can the GOP, now that it will control both Houses ,deliver the leadership and return our nations economy to health ? It was outrageous how Democrats played the grievance card in many races and lost resoundingly. Americans are not happy at all with the GOP and decided to give them another chance to put Americans first. Will they ? Two years will go by real fast and if Republicans don't deliver, they will be the party ousted from power

The facts are the facts. Voters across the nation expressed their discontent with President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Can the GOP, now that it will control both Houses ,deliver the leadership and return our nations economy to health ? It was outrageous how Democrats played the grievance card in many races and lost resoundingly. Americans are not happy at all with the GOP and decided to give them another chance to put Americans first. Will they ? Two years will go by real fast and if Republicans don't deliver, they will be the party ousted from power

11/04/14Still vote, despite the odds against you for delivery from politicians

Still vote, despite the odds against you for delivery from politicians

BY: Armstrong Williams

Perhaps the biggest take home among all these competing priorities and shifting sentiments is that the two-party system is an imperfect mechanism for governing in an environment that demands more political nuance than usual. Voters have not been able to get enough of what they want from either party without getting too much of what they don’t want from both. There are two few alternatives outside of the two-party system for both expressing voter concerns and wielding any sort of electoral power to make a difference in policy outcomes. The party that wins is usually too mortgaged to special interests and too saddled with the power dynamics to really pay attention to its base. And the party in the minority is generally too focused and ideologically closed to garner a governing coalition. If this is not the very definition of a mad-house straightjacket, I don’t know what is.

Who do we have to thank for the robust economic recovery? Who’s to blame for its uneven distribution? Some economists have pointed out that ending the extension of Federal unemployment benefits created a more motivated labor force, and putting in place the budget deal in 2011 that resulted in reducing the national debt, have put the country on firmer financial footing. This was not a popular medicine to be sure, and the political fallout from the impasse over the debt ceiling is seen as having hurt Republicans who stuck to their guns in favoring growth over distribution.

On the other hand, the democrats promised their base benefits that they could not deliver in the lean years. There were no major fiscal policy initiatives supporting employment, and unemployment benefits and food stamps were cut in the budget deal. Government worker unions, such as teachers’ unions and other state and local employee unions felt the pinch, especially in places like Detroit, where union benefits were excluded from a financial restructuring plan to rescue the city. Despite major symbolic victories such as increased inclusion of gays in the military and signing equal pay legislation into the law, the Democratic base feels that the President has failed to deliver for them in his second term. So, while there is a feeling that Obama cares about the issues that concern democratic voters, there is severe lack of confidence that he is actually capable of delivering the goods.

The abuse of children occurs within a context of broken families, domestic violence, neglect and declining societal values.

Community expectations have eroded when it comes to families and raising children within a married two-parent household where faith and discipline are exemplified by both parents. The kids may have received conflicting messages about the potential consequences of outrageous behavior. Another unspoken theme is single mothers who are in conflict with their children’s father and using the child as a wedge, or overcompensating by indulging misbehavior out of a feeling of guilt at not having an intact family life.

10/30/14Syria and the Middle east

BY: Armstrong Williams

Syria and the Middle east

Military officials are now warning that the war that is getting underway in Syria could last for years. Given the President’s tattered track record when it comes to making foreign policy decisions related to the Middle East, every American should be deeply worried about what could happen next. Time and again, President Obama has misjudged the unfolding of events in one of the world’s most troubled regions. Our feckless, inconsistent and haphazard policies have emboldened our enemies who increasingly view us as a paper tiger whose occasional purrs are worse than our bite. In Libya, our strategy of “leading from behind” ultimately left behind a chaotic country that is more unstable than before. In Egypt, we repeatedly shifted course, ultimately throwing our support behind efforts to unseat Hosni Mubarak. In short order this brought the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood to power, before the military ultimately managed to regain control.

Let me be the first to say this. Colleges and Universities are not equipped to adjudicate violent crimes like sexual assault (or assault in general). They do not possess the investigative resources, training, expertise, or legitimacy that traditional law enforcement bring to the table. And yet every day across America, colleges are attempting to try and determine which assault allegations merit disciplinary action and which don’t. In many instances, even when Universities do the right thing and the victim is informed of his or her option to report the crime, the crime still goes unreported because victims feel that once the police are involved they won’t be able to control the process.

10/27/14The Two Party System is Killing America

The Two Party System is Killing America

By Armstrong Williams

The tale of Ferguson, Missouri is in many respects the tale of two cities. One half white, overwhelmingly Republican and conservative. The other half, black, overwhelmingly Democratic, and at least nominally liberal. In a perfect world, such a community would never come into such stark and intense opposition. An ideal political process would have mediated those differences long before their anger engulfed them. Perhaps the zero sum game of partisanship followed by gridlock is the best the two party system has to offer at this point, but as a society we deserve much, much better.

The problem with the two party system is that you have to keep the bathwater in order to save the baby. And of course, the dirty water ends up harming the baby in the long run. One wonders whether it would be possible for blacks to really get what they need at this stage – jobs and economic empowerment – without sacrificing too much in the way of Democrats’ overregulation overspending, both of which have had a stifling effect on job creation and American competitiveness. While the Tea party has widely been blamed for the decline in U.S. government creditworthiness because of its’ role in the government shut down and failure to raise the debt ceiling, the fact is that America’s crushing debt problem caused the fall in the credit rating.

If blacks or any other group broke away from the Democratic Party and formed an activist pressure group like the Tea party, the question is whether they would push the party to the left or to the right. The calculus may not be so simple. Surely, the Democratic Party has had significant victories on social issues – ranging from same sex marriages, to equal treatment in the military. But where it counts on economic issues such as wage growth, job creation and pension reform, Democrats have failed to deliver. The business community has been largely successful in doing an end run around organized labor to convince workers that their jobs depend upon the profitability of the company, not on union power. The extent to which a splinter group would be likely to break left is therefore somewhat questionable.

The bottom line is that we are a country of and for the people. We are not state, we are not parties, and we are not districts. Those can be convenient organizing tools, but at the end of the day the power is invested in the people to change themselves. People should begin to demand more accountability of their elected officials. For too long the choice has been seen as supporting the lesser of two evils. However the success of the Tea party in holding an establishment party accountable should be a lesson learned for the voters irrespective of their political leanings.

10/24/14Ebola case in NY

BY: Armstrong Williams

Ebola case in NY

The Ebola Virus continue to spread slowly to every corner of our nation. Dr. Craig Spencer in New York City is now sick with the virus and NY mayor Bill de Blasio ask all to remain calm.

We need to focus as a country on doing much more in the way of prevention, and less in the way of crisis management. The country of Nigeria has done an incredible job in isolating the virus in their nation and are in full control of the virus. Are we seeking counsel and wisdom from this nation to guide us through these uncharted territories ? Although the U.S. military is plainly the world’s best fighting organization, it is ill-suited to deal with thorny political and sectarian issues confronting world nations. Too put it in the words of a U.S. fighter pilot in the early days of the Iraqi war, the new wars do not really present a target rich environment. The mess in Syria and Northern Iraq is a case in point. It is almost impossible without actually taking over the place to root out terrorism, petty tyranny and the plain old corruption that is plaguing these nations. However, the work that needs to be done is primarily nation-building. That means building robust state institutions of governance and service so that people feel they have a say in how they are governed, and in turn increasing the capacity of weakened governments to provide essential goods and services to their people.

The facts in the Ferguson shooting supports Mo. police office Darren Wilson testimony of what happen. The autopsy is clear that Brown moved toward the officer as they faced off in the street, according to eyewitness interviews ( eight black witnesses provided testimony to a grand jury that largely supported Wilson's version) .Some of the forensic/physical evidence including the location of blood analysis, shell casings, and ballistic tests supports Wilson version.It is always diffcult and inconceivable why law enforcement needs to shoot a human being repeatedly as if they are animals. However, will the protesters and race hustlers finally concede that regardless of perception, a person under our rule of law is innocent until proven guilty. Given the recent evidence from the autopsy, the bar for convicting officer Wilson of any crime, seems faint at best.

10/22/14Ebola

BY: Armstrong Williams

Ebola

Several African countries have themselves banned travel from the Ebola-stricken neighbors. South Africa, Kenya and Zambia currently have total or partial flight bans in place. It is not coincidence that these are places that have had some of the worst problems with the AIDS virus historically. AIDS came close to completely destroying these societies, and they have learned their lesson about early and aggressive containment rather than denial and delay. The health officials in these countries also know that they do not have enough public health resources to deal with an Ebola outbreak should it occur. They do not want another AIDS on their hands, and so out of an abundance of caution they have restricted travel to the Ebola-infected countries until the virus is contained.

10/21/14Feeding the spirit is critical to success

BY: Armstrong Williams

Feeding the spirit is critical to success

Nurturing the spirit is a daily constant for me. I always pray immediately upon waking each morning, whether it is a silent acknowledgment or a longer period of devotion. I keep spiritual messages circulating in my environment, whether the music I listen to while working out at the gym, or in my car or my home. There’s always something, usually of the gospel variety, that I’m listening to. I’ve found that passive listening to spiritual messages has a great long term effect in filling the spiritual well so to speak. During times of challenge, those messages we hear in song can often be recalled and used to support us through to the other side.

The other source of spiritual benefit of course is the direct word of God. As a Christian I believe the scriptures provide as way forward for us, whether we read them directly or attend Church on a regular basis. The regular attendance of Church and observance of the Sabbath on Sunday is s way of acknowledging the true source of our blessings. Put in the context of busy Washington, DC, where there is always something going on, always more work to be done, always another business opportunity that could use my attention – there is something to be said about taking a whole day out to rest, commune with family and attend to the spirit.

The benefits are practical as well as conceptual. On a practical basis, leaving one day free of the worldly concerns of earning a living or making an impact politically or socially, gives the mind and body a chance to rest and replenish itself. After a Sunday at Church or at home reading the scripture silently for a couple of hours, I experienced a very pronounced sense of of calm and relaxation. Everything else that seemed so important and urgent all week falls away and takes its place below the majesty of our creator. On the conceptual level, we human beings tend to be self-centered both as individuals and as a species. It wasn’t so long ago that the Catholic Church saw itself as second only in majesty to God himself. And that had real world effects.

10/17/14Ebola

BY: Armstrong Williams

Ebola

The nation is finally awake to the reality of Ebola on U.S. soil. In less than six months, we have gone from a country that had never had a case of Ebola on its soil in its’ entire history, to five Ebola victims (including evacuated medical personnel) and one death caused by the virus. And so predictably (and justifiably), the U.S. public has become concerned about not only the possibility of persons infected with the disease arriving from Ebola-stricken countries, but also about the U.S. health care system’s real capacity for containing the disease once it arrives. In fact, National Nurses United, the largest union of professional nurses in the country, announced that it believed the nation’s hospitals have not received adequate training or resources to deal with Ebola, and stated that almost 90 percent of its’ members had no training at all on how to deal with an Ebola outbreak.

10/16/14Rape

BY: Armstrong Williams

Rape

But rape is not only stigmatizing for the victim. It also stigmatizes the accused. In fact social stigma, often appearing in the form of punishments such as a “registered sex offender” designation, is one of the ways in which society attempts to discourage sexual violence. The reality is that the allegation of sexual assault should stigmatize the author of a false accusation, and it should also stigmatize the perpetrator of a crime. The threat of stigma is a means by which we as a society teach and enforce moral behavior to children and adolescents. Correctly applied, these stigmas encourage moral excellence (not merely adhering to the limits of legally permissible behavior).

The ‘coveted status’ we should all be striving for is moral excellence. The problem with sweeping allegations of sexual assault among college students under the rug is that it encourages misbehavior among both genders. The ‘boys will be boys’ attitude about raucous college antics flies in the face of society’s increasingly co-educational schools and workplaces, where that behavior will be counterproductive. Furthermore, the reluctance to report such crimes to the proper authorities on the part of victims puts other potential victims at increased risk of serious harm.

The video recording this week of a confrontation between St Louis Cardinals fans and protestors chanting justice for Mike Brown, the black youth killed by police and Ferguson outside the Cardinals’ stadium provides a bit of illustration. The protesters, who were peacefully assembled outside the game and not blocking entrance to the stadium, nonetheless soon attracted a small crowd of hostile Cardinals fans. Various insults were traded back and forth between the drunken Caridnals fans and the disorganized group of youthful protestors. Police officers were on hand to keep the peace. Aside from some of the ad hominem attacks, it was clear that many of the Cardinals fans felt insulted that the protestors had identified them as part of the problem. One fan shouted across the picket line, “cops shouldn’t be going around killing young kids, but this isn’t the way to go about it.” He was apparently referring to the activist tactics of the protestors. The young man across the picket line responded, “hey, this is a peaceful demonstration against police brutality.” He was of course entirely correct and within his rights.

The uncommunicated subtext on the part of the anti-protestors seemed to be that while we agree with you on the issue of justice for Mike Brown, we believe that the legal process is the best forum to mediate the dispute. And we certainly don’t want our team’s moment of triumph, not to mention a good mention beer buzz, ruined by the intrusion of social or political issues. However, the protestors, who at first glance seemed to be somewhat out of their league, made a brilliant point. Injustice by its very nature disturbs everyone’s peace. The more subtle point is that even the criminal justice system does not operate in a vacuum.

10/09/14PC is now destroying us

BY: Armstrong Williams

PC is now destroying us

Do we truly put America first anymore. Is PC destroying our way of life? Are we now defending the identity politics the left's claim that no department of American life — whether sports, arts or education — should be autonomous from politics. That strikes me as a recipe for unceasing social and political conflict conducted on terms largely dictated by the left. The new PC and bias media leads many to assume that justice in the Michael Brown case demands not impartial investigation and evaluation of the facts — let alone the presumption of innocence —but, rather, conviction of Darren Wilson. This is seriously not the spirt of who we are as Americans.

10/08/14Unmasking the church

BY: Armstrong Williams

Unmasking the Church

The critical moral message is being lost and ignored in the church. While focusing on attaining wealth, the message ignores the value of temperance, hard work, and development of character through suffering. What ever happened to the protestant ethic, where wealth was not just a blessing from God, but the result of the rigorous cultivation of moral virtue? It is reported in the Gospel of St. Matthew that Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money.” It is the height of irony to have to say this; but it is time the church made a choice as to which master it really wants to serve.

10/06/14What is the price ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

What is the price ?

America needs to wake up. How much blood and treasure are we prepared to spend fighting wars without clearly articulated goals? How is it possible that we move from having no strategy to racing down the path to full-fledged war? If our commander in chief had demonstrated even a basic understanding of the Middle East then perhaps we could feel confident that he had a plan in place that would serve our country’s best strategic interests. But President Obama has shown time again that he doesn’t truly understand the dynamics of the Middle East and what it will take for America to play a role there. Make no mistake about it, the region is replete with bad actors and there are no easy fixes. Yet in order to construct a solution you must first understand the problem. For America to get what it needs, our President first needs to get a clue.

Time and again, President Obama has misjudged the unfolding of events in one of the world’s most troubled regions. Our feckless, inconsistent and haphazard policies have emboldened our enemies who increasingly view us as a paper tiger whose occasional purrs are worse than our bite. In Libya, our strategy of “leading from behind” ultimately left behind a chaotic country that is more unstable than before. In Egypt, we repeatedly shifted course, ultimately throwing our support behind efforts to unseat Hosni Mubarak. In short order this brought the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood to power, before the military ultimately managed to regain control.

unsetNovember midterm elections

BY: Armstrong Williams

November 2014 Midterm elections

We have to ask ourselves why over 90% of House members and 91% of senators that ran in 2012 were reelected when Congress had only a 14% approval rating. The true definition of an addiction is someone who can't get enough of something that they don't want. America has been addicted to Congress.

We need to take a step back and ask ourselves why America has a deep-seated resentment and dislike for Congress but seems to crave keeping those whom they detest in power. Psychologically, when there is a contradiction between that which we are doing and that which we are wanting to accomplish, it is known as cognitive dissonance. This psychological disorder can be summarized by the concept of re-electing those whom we have deemed should not be in office to begin with.

unsetFraudulent Religious leaders and banks

BY: Armstrong Williams

Fraudulent Religious leaders and banks

While conducting research for a book on televangelist's in 2004, John Walton, professor of religious studies at University of California kept hearing these odd testimonies during the service; ‘I was renting, and now God let me have a home;’ or ‘I was afraid of the loan officer, but God directed him to ignore my bad credit.’ Of course everyone knows what happened three years later. Those same people whom ‘God’ had supposedly blessed lost their homes, their savings and most of their self-esteem amidst the biggest home foreclosure crisis in American history. I am not suggesting that these poor people were in any way to blame for causing the foreclosure crisis. But what seems clear is that in some cases unscrupulous bank officers and corrupt religious leaders joined forces to promote bad mortgages on the least suspecting, all the while using the gospel of prosperity to mask their fraudulent deeds.

1) this is a Long War2) it is a Global War on Terror 3) it must be fought on THEIR turf, not ours....with allies preferably, but alone if we must (for those who say we won't ever go back with infantry, Gen. Dempsey's testimony threw cold water on that notion).4) we reserve the right to strike pre-emptively to thwart untoward acts.

It is significant not only that the strikes were widespread, but that we acted alone against an Al Qaeda cell in NW Syria that was "an imminent danger" to strike the U.S. (Gives the deception to BHO's convenient election year assessment that they were 'significantly degraded').

The commander in chief has finally understood his first responsibility: to safeguard this country, its allies, and our interests. You don't do that by unilateral withdrawal, ceding international leadership, and issuing hollow threats. Congratulations. To echo his wife: for the first time ever in his presidency, I'm proud of BHO and support his actions. His instinct to save US ground troops for a last resort is also admirable though I am skeptical that commitment can be kept.

09/29/14The Ebola Crisis

The Ebola Crisis:

By Armstrong Williams

There is always a lesson in a crisis if you’re humble enough to look for it. As the Ebola crisis spreads throughout West Africa, both the on-the-ground struggles and the international response have been enlightening to say the least.

The response to the Ebola crisis seems slow, halting and stingy. Contrast this to the coalition that was quickly built in response to the popular uprising in Libya in 2011. The NATO-led international coalition to oust Gadhafi cost an estimated seven billion dollars, with the U.S. alone footing at least two billion. The Ebola epidemic has already proven to be the most quickly spreading disease outbreak of its’ kind in recent history.If the virology were to proceed at its’ current pace, the disease could kill at least a million people by the end of the year.To be fair, the rapid spread of the outbreak has caught even the most experienced public health professionals by surprise.But the epidemic was already months in the making before the U.S. decided to commit significant resources. France, which put boots on the ground in Mali when it thought it’s interests were being threatened by Islamic militants, has been remarkably absent in Guinea, another former colony where Ebola has taken hold.

The reaction in the U.S. media has revealed some very curious attitudes about the disease, ranging from grotesque fascination to bemused romanticism about a time when European exploration the tropics in the late eighteenth century exposed them to cholera and other tropical viruses. In a headline titled, “The Most Feared People in Liberia,” Time magazine tracks the emergency Red Cross “Body Management Team’ as it goes around and collects dead bodies. Along the way we learn that almost all deaths caused by illness in the country are presumed to be Ebola-related, and in many cases loved ones are no longer allowed to bury their dead relatives for fear of contracting the virus themselves. Another headline appeared in the Washington Post recently, “Love in the Time of Ebola,’ a vapid chronicle of the long distance love affair between two American humanitarian workers whose lives and careers were upset when the organizations they worked for closed up shop and left the disease-ravaged region. We are all a human race, no one is safe, regardless of your wealth, education or nationality. If the ship goes down, you’re going down with it. We should have learned that from the Titanic.

We are a human race. The notion that nationality, race, religion and ethnicity should be real divisions stands in stark contrast to the reality of the global challenges we are facing. The principle of helping thy neighbor exists, not just for your neighbor’s sake, but for your own. A healthy neighbor is often the only thing standing between us and certain disaster.

09/26/14Mental Illness

BY: Armstrong Williams

Mental Illness

While mental illness is seen as a challenge by parents because of the difficulties it presents for communication and self-care, people with the condition often display unique forms of genius. Some forms of autism have been associated with genius. Many autistic individuals including the man described in this piece have a highly developed, perhaps even obsessive, attention to detail. Often that attention and ability to remain focused one thing for so long gives them much deeper insight into subjects that normal people might overlook.

Dr. Michael Burry, for example was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome an autism-spectrum condition that is often characterized by social isolation combined with obsessive idiosyncratic interests in a hobby. In an article in Vanity Fair chronicling Dr. Burry’s role in predicting and capitalizing from the sub-prime mortgage crisis, author Michael Lewis marvels at Burry’s single-minded focus and attention to detail. Of particular note was the fact that Burry was probably the only person in the investment business to actually read the mind-numbingly boring mortgage bond prospectuses, including the lawyers who drafted them.

While Burry’s mastery of sub-prime market minutiae enabled him to not only predict the sub-prime crash but also profit handsomely from credit-default swaps he purchased at a small fraction of their value from the likes of Goldman Sachs, his hedge fund Scion Capital did not fare as well as his genius would otherwise have permitted. And that was because like most people with Asperger’s he found it far more difficult to deal with people in situations requiring understanding and empathy. He was so focused on making the most logical decisions that he did not understand why his investors were so skittish during the middle of the biggest economic collapse of a generation. Many of them demanded their money back before the fruits of their investment could pay off. Though he ultimately earned tens of millions of dollars for himself and his clients, he could have earned billions had he been able convince his clients to stay put in the midst of chaos.

09/25/14Our Food is our medicine and poison

BY: Armstrong Williams

Our Food is our medicine and poison

We need to abandon the attitude that we can consume all the artificial sugars and fats we want and then run to the medical community to save us once our long-suffering bodies start to break down. A refreshing start is a recent partnership between a Houston-based organic food co-op Rawfully Organic and Dr. Garth Davis of the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center. Their program, called a “Farmacy” allows doctors at the clinic, which specializes in weight loss surgery and medication, to ‘prescribe’ fruits and vegetables to their patients in addition to or instead of medication. The clinic issues a prescription for a basket of raw organic fruits and veggies that is in turn supplied by the co-op. Naturally the prescription is not covered by standard insurance. The partnership has been able to secure charitable funding to subsidize some of the cost of this practice.

Volumes have already been written about the problems surrounding the American diet, corporate marketing, the food industry and the medical and pharmaceutical rackets. Volumes more are sure to be written because people are gradually waking up to this major societal problem. People these days not only expect to live longer, they want their lives to have quality that only health and vitality can afford them. It was perhaps the legendary fitness guru Jack Lalane who said it best. When questioned about how to achieve a healthy diet, he simply replied – “if man made it, I don’t eat it.” Enough said.

09/24/14Feeding the spirit is critical to success

BY: Armstrong Williams

Feeding the spirit is critical to success

Nurturing the spirit is a daily constant for me. I always pray immediately upon waking each morning, whether it is a silent acknowledgment or a longer period of devotion. I keep spiritual messages circulating in my environment, whether the music I listen to while working out at the gym, or in my car or my home. There’s always something, usually of the gospel variety, that I’m listening to. I’ve found that passive listening to spiritual messages has a great long term effect in filling the spiritual well so to speak. During times of challenge, those messages we hear in song can often be recalled and used to support us through to the other side.

The other source of spiritual benefit of course is the direct word of God. As a Christian I believe the scriptures provide as way forward for us, whether we read them directly or attend Church on a regular basis. The regular attendance of Church and observance of the Sabbath on Sunday is s way of acknowledging the true source of our blessings. Put in the context of busy Washington, DC, where there is always something going on, always more work to be done, always another business opportunity that could use my attention – there is something to be said about taking a whole day out to rest, commune with family and attend to the spirit.

The benefits are practical as well as conceptual. On a practical basis, leaving one day free of the worldly concerns of earning a living or making an impact politically or socially, gives the mind and body a chance to rest and replenish itself. After a Sunday at Church or at home reading the scripture silently for a couple of hours, I experienced a very pronounced sense of of calm and relaxation. Everything else that seemed so important and urgent all week falls away and takes its place below the majesty of our creator. On the conceptual level, we human beings tend to be self-centered both as individuals and as a species. It wasn’t so long ago that the Catholic Church saw itself as second only in majesty to God himself. And that had real world effects.

09/23/14Hard work, discipline, and sacrifice is the Equalizer

BY: Armstrong Williams

Hard work, discipline, and sacrifice is the Equalizer

As a kid growing up on an isolated farm, my father taught me how to work hard and respect those in authority over me. He chose to pass down the values of life, personal responsibility, and accountability, rather than the racism he was forced to deal with when he was younger.

He was able to forgive and let go of the hatred he had for those who hated him based on the color of his skin. He passed on love instead.

For many African Americans, the road to success is hard. African American fathers are absent from the family and fail to teach their children the value of sacrifice and personal responsibility.

Many inner city public schools fail to educate our children the way they deserve to be educated. In some cases, racism still prevents black men from receiving justice in our court system.

Over the last year, 100 blacks were killed by law enforcement, and this must be corrected. But what the media won’t tell you is that in the same time period, 5,000 blacks have been killed by other blacks.

Society has never been fair, but this does not give us an excuse to throw our arms in the air and give up. Prominent men and women of all races have made their success despite the odds stacked against them.

09/22/14Democrats in desperate need of a Tea party

BY: Armstrong Williams

Democrats in desperate need of a Tea Party

If blacks or any other group broke away from the Democratic Party and formed an activist pressure group like the Tea party, the question is whether they would push the party to the left or to the right. The calculus may not be so simple. Surely, the Democratic Party has had significant victories on social issues – ranging from same sex marriages, to equal treatment in the military. But where it counts on economic issues such as wage growth, job creation and pension reform, Democrats have failed to deliver. The business community has been largely successful in doing an end run around organized labor to convince workers that their jobs depend upon the profitability of the company, not on union power. The extent to which a splinter group would be likely to break left is therefore somewhat questionable.

The bottom line is that we are a country of and for the people. We are not state, we are not parties, and we are not districts. Those can be convenient organizing tools, but at the end of the day the power is invested in the people to change themselves. People should begin to demand more accountability of their elected officials. For too long the choice has been seen as supporting the lesser of two evils. However the success of the Tea party in holding an establishment party accountable should be a lesson learned for the voters irrespective of their political leanings.

09/19/14Where are the jobs ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Where are the Jobs ?

Friday September 19

There has been a lot of concern lately about why after six years of economic recovery and a steadily falling unemployment rate, there are still so many people seemingly not working in America. Economists have pointed to historically low labor force participation rates, especially among males, as a curious phenomenon that could potentially spell a troubling future for America. But the fall labor force participation may be telling a different story altogether.

Both the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s recently featured alarmist headlines bringing attention to the declining labor force participation rate. Barron’s title, “The Decline of Work” cites a Bureau of Labor Statistics study showing that labor force participation has fallen to roughly 62%, its lowest point since 1978, and is further projected to decline even further to 61% in 2022. The Wall Street Journal published an article with exactly the same title, albeit a few months before Barron’s, in which it implied that the government safety net, including universal health care and disability claims, were keeping able bodied workers on the sidelines. Barron’s largely parroted this claim, adding in addition that the long-term unemployed were becoming increasingly unemployable because of atrophied skills.

09/18/14A Tale

By Armstrong Williams. Thursday September 18.

The tale of Ferguson, Missouri is in many respects the tale of two cities. One half white, overwhelmingly Republican and conservative. The other half, black, overwhelmingly Democratic, and at least nominally liberal. In a perfect world, such a community would never come into such stark and intense opposition. An ideal political process would have mediated those differences long before their anger engulfed them. Perhaps the zero sum game of partisanship followed by gridlock is the best the two party system has to offer at this point, but as a society we deserve much, much better.

On the black, largely democratic side of the Ferguson divide you have a triumph of symbolism over substance. Record turnout of black voters in Presidential elections enabled Democrats to achieve stunning victories. And yet in the congressional races, Democrats have consistently lost ground to a focused, organized grass roots conservative movement. Hoping for change, many Democratic voters got more of the same, only less of it. Here’s why: the Democratic establishment promised less than one would think given it’s surefooted victories in the Presidential elections 2008 and 2012, and they were able to deliver even less than what they promised because of the rightward drift in the Congress.

09/17/14What truly matters ?

BY: Armstrong WilliamsWhat truly matters ?The good news is that I have always and remain someone who defines me and not someone else. It is a blessing in America and the world that you can continue uninterrupted success and empower many for a life time.

Thankful for the karma of being educated employed and an employer ,worked hard and adept at makingthe necessary sacrifices for sustain success. Many people think that I am lucky and unusually rare in my success . They refuse to recognize the hard work ,discipline ,continuous networking, saving, and having an attitude of self confidence that keeps me connected to people of similar Characteristics. Unfortunately there are still many people who view grievance as there defining characteristic. This is especially true for large segments of so called minorities liberals. They use grievance as an excuse for the lack of necessity for individual responsibility. This creates a victim mentality in a large segment of their community. The victim mentality is exploited by traditional civil rights leaders and many liberals. Their solution to victim mentality is large government, and the nanny state. This Eliminates the need for individuals to be responsible and accountable for themselves. Liberal and civil rights leaders who propose this nanny state solution, use it as political exploitation to retain control of the overall grievance vote. When big government is responsible there is no requirement of you to take care of yourself . If you have a failure in education, A child out of wedlock, unemployed , violate the law, hungry, etc it is not your fault and you bear no responsibility for your bad choices. I refuse to allow the grievance class to put me in a box. You will never place me in a box of failure, blame, and finding every excuse possible, as to why you cannot realize, celebrate, and pass on the American dream.Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 126, 6-8pm and 5-7 am, Monday through Friday and S.C WGCV 4-5pm.Become a fan on Facebook- www.facebook.com/arightside, and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/arightside.

09/16/14Abuse

BY: Armstrong Williams

Abuse

Times have changed since the days of my parents and social mores along with them. In most cases it is no longer acceptable for anyone other than close relatives to administer corporal punishment to students. And beating children, especially toddlers, to the point where there are visible scars no longer comports with community standards of child discipline. Of course it depends on what community we’re talking about. There are certainly cultural differences to be appreciated here. And when it comes to celebrities we think we know because we see them on television all the time, there seems to be an altogether different set of standards.

Community expectations have also eroded when it comes to families and raising children within a married two-parent household where faith and discipline are exemplified by both parents. In most incidents of abuse, the young children are primarily being raised by the mother. The kids may have received conflicting messages about the potential consequences of outrageous behavior. And another unspoken theme is single mothers who are in conflict with their children’s father and using the child as a wedge, or overcompensating by indulging misbehavior out of a feeling of guilt at not having an intact family life.

But at a certain point of harshness and violence, physical discipline devolves into just plain old abuse. No one really can point to a bright line in all cases, but the extremes generally inform the mean. When you look at the fact that Adrian Peterson’s two-year old son was also abused in the same way and later killed by his mother’s boyfriend, it is clear that violence of this sort often tends to escalate. The abuse of children occurs within a context of broken families, domestic violence, neglect and declining societal values.

09/15/14The New Economy

BY: Armstrong Williams

The New Economy

For many Americans today, the knowledge economy and rapid advances in information technology and communications make remote collaboration the norm, even among teams in large corporations. No longer are most workers bounded by time and location. What we are seeing is work being assembled and delivered asynchronously. This trend continues all along the value chain in both large and small corporations. Not only are employers becoming more nimble and short term oriented, so are workers. Many workers favor working in spurts, with mini-retirements in between jobs, rather than working continuously until retiring near the end of life. People are living longer, meaning that they are living longer after retirement than ever before. This might seem like a strange new world, but is the new reality of the American economy. Cyclical events such as recessions only help to hasten and entrench structural shiftssuch as increasing worker mobility, career switching, and lifestyle choices that value life experiences over income maximization. The field of economics will have to evolve to capture these changes as citizens of developed economies seek to add more quality to their lives.

09/11/14Reforming Criminal Justice

BY: Armstrong Williams

Reforming Criminal Justice

The question I want to ask is when did legalized profiting over poor Americans become acceptable in this country? Instead of keeping the peace and restoring justice in our cities, local governments have resorted to punishing the least among us.

And this is not just a local problem. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the federal prison population has exploded by 800 percent since 1980. Federal funding for prisons is at an all-time high of $6.445 billion and50 percent of federal prisoners are in jail for nonviolent drug offenses. The CRS cites mandatory minimum sentencing lawsthat over-criminalize nonviolent offenses as the source of the problem.

Over-criminalizing nonviolent offenses whether it’s done by excessive fines, high court fees, or one-size-fits-all mandatory minimum sentencing laws is wrong. Those who are struggling most in our society are the same people who are getting hit the hardest.

Reforming our criminal justice system is the only way to end the cycle of poverty that so many Americans are trapped in. Surely this is the least we can do.

09/10/14Private Spiritual Reflections

BY: Armstrong Williams

Private Spiritual Reflections

The founding fathers had very definite views about keeping a proper distance between government and religion. Thomas Jefferson worried that if our leaders could punish sin, the law could become a straightjacket to individual liberties. Conversely, John Adams worried about the corrupting influence government might have on religious practice.

Both were right. Religious practice is one of the most personal and profound decisions an individual can make. If our right to liberty means anything, it means a freedom to practice religion free of government interference. This ethic has been ingrained into our culture.

Ironically, in the struggle to preserve a private sphere for religious practice and to shield members of the public from being inculcated with others religious beliefs, we've relegated religious worship to the private sphere.

09/04/14ISIS ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

ISIS ?

The question many have raised is first of all whether the U.S. has an articulable strategy in the region, and further, whether that strategy has been effective. That’s a fair question, as the Obama administration has mainly relied upon seemingly doing as little as possible in terms of engaging U.S. forces in the region. However, given the political and ideological cesspool into which the region has recently sunk, one wonders whether more aggressive direct action would clean up the situation or merely end up sullying our own hands.

There is also the question of whether Islamic extremism is a threat to the west or Western interests. The answer is that of course it is. Their actions demonstrate extreme barbarity and wanton disregard for the sanctity of life. But the distinction here may be that ISIS is not yet an imminent threat. If the U.S. can help to foster a more unified government in Iraq, it may be able to stem and reverse some of the gains that ISIS has made in the country. If Iraqi’s learn to respect and tolerate each other and share their more than abundant resources equitably, it will be difficult for outside groups to divide them. In the abundance of water, only the fool is thirsty. Of course the knee jerk reaction would be to go in and step up the bombing of ISIS (which is really just bombing Iraq) and/or risk American boots on the ground. However, we’ve tried that in the past and just ended up wasting money and blood with little to show for it. At this point, instead of trying to lay down the roach powder, it may be more appropriate to clean house.

09/03/14Children and Sex

BY: Armstrong Williams

Children and Sex

Children who engage in sex with other children are not engaging in a mutual interaction, but rather treating each other as objects to be prodded. Such inglorious and awkward interactions can lead to a lifelong confusion between sex and love. "Kids today are growing up without any understanding of the incremental steps of getting to know each other,? remarked Patricia Hersch, author of A Tribe Apart: We assume they do, but they just don't. They have no way of knowing how to explore their first inklings of wanting to be with each other." Nor are they prepared to start a family. The United States teen pregnancy rate continues to outpace the rest of the civilized world. This year alone, roughly two million teenage women in the United States will become pregnant. Too often, the boys that got them pregnant are unable or unwilling to provide for their family as men. About half of those pregnancies will result in births, often to young out-of-wedlock women who simply are not emotionally or financially prepared to adequately care for their children.

09/02/14A Labor Day Reminder

BY: Armstrong Williams.

A Labor Day Reminder

Given the level of anti-Americanism at home and abroad, I thought it would be appropriate to dwell for a moment on what makes this country greatas we celebrate Labor Day. For starters, this country embodies something utterly unique: History’s first democratic empire. Beginning in the post war era, we have used free trade and democracy to create a series of interlocking relationships that end war.

This has been America’s great gift to the world. It was a gift that was hauled along by two factors in particular: the industrial revolution and the fact that the social hierarchies of older societies didn’t restrain America. These two factors created conditions by which every American citizen felt he could succeed. Of course, the opportunities that the industrial revolution provided were not unique to America. The fact that America nonetheless views such opportunity as its defining characteristic, speaks to a certain cultural spirit which fueled this country’s progress.

It is this uniquely American spirit which has primed the pump of this country’s success and fueled the triumph of democracy and modernity over feudal disunity. We should feel pride, not guilt, for this success. Yes, our foreign policy has rightly engendered criticism. But we should never feel guilty for standing up for ourselves, or for rooting out groups of people who sit around and plot ways to murder as many Americans as possible. At the end of the day, there is no doubt that the unique spirit embodied by this country has worked, not just to make the world safer, but to make it better.

08/29/14President Obama can't relate to inner city youth

BY: Armstrong Williams

President Obama can't relate to innercity youth

By almost any standards President Barack Obama defies easy classification.He is a descendent of slaves, but not via the ‘black’ side of his family.His white mother is actually a distant relative of one of the first Africans enslaved in America.He is the child of a Kenyan immigrant, but his immigrant father returned to the land of his birth when Obama was a young child, leaving Obama bereft of the influences of both the Kenyan identity and the Islamic religion of his father.The President has impeccable credentials as an ivory tower constitutional scholar, and yet he is clearly someone who thrives amid the muddy fray of electoral politics.He, like many of the black youth of Ferguson, Ohio grew up without his father present.And yet his life experience could not be more distant than that of the typical black teenager growing up in inner-city America.

Perhaps Obama as a teenager was angry at having grown up without a father and experimented with drugs. But that only tells a small part of the story. The reality is that at the age of eighteen Obama had access to very specific resources and avenues of opportunity, combined with a worldly exposure from having travelled and lived abroad, that gave him heightened expectations that were way beyond the contemplation of almost any of Michael Brown’s peers.

08/28/14Why do we exist ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Why do we exist ?

Look at the amount oftelevision watching Americans distract themselves with. The average American watches five hours of television per day. That’s about 76 days out of the year of watching television 24 hours straight! Think about all the good things that could have been done with this time.

So what informs your philosophy of life? Is it getting more Twitter followers or watching the latest episode of the newest show on TV? I sure hope not.

Individual self-esteem is now determined by how many people follow you on social media, and how many likes you get. But self-esteem should in fact be based on the undisputed truth that we're created in the image of God.

The Scriptures should inform your philosophy of life. Knowledge of the Scriptures reveal the character of God, the difference between right and wrong, and an understanding of the purpose of life.

The Scriptures give you a set of values and those values ultimately guide your thinking and living. The values given to us by Scripture guide your sense of purpose.

Most people spend their lives on distractions and never reach their goals and objectives. Why, because they don't have a sense of purpose. Purpose is your zone Raison D'être, French, for your reason of being.

08/27/14Invest money wisely

BY: Armstrong Williams

Invest money wisely

When the suggestion that structural factors have resulted in black family destabilization is raised, eyes start rolling, and the arguments in its favor are dismissed as far-fetched conspiracy theories. Personal choices, individual responsibility, not societal factors, are often cited as the ultimate controlling influence on human behavior. And yet it is readily conceded that the presence of fathers within strong family structures can and do influence children to make better choices. No one would deny that access to education has a huge influence on both the availability of options and the ability of individuals to choose the best options for themselves.

Few would disagree that juvenile and adult prisons are not only poor substitutes for family structures, but ultimately untenable as a societal solution to the problems of social decay. Several states, including California and Texas, have almost bankrupted themselves because of their ridiculously inflated prison populations. The math is simple. It costs close to $40,000 per year on average to house a prisoner, who, when released with no education and a criminal record, is even less likely to become a contributing member of society able to resume his role as a father to his children. On the other hand, it costs about $7,000 per year or less to adequately educate a child and produce a productive member of society who is likely to be able to assume the responsibility of fatherhood.

When the suggestion that structural factors have resulted in black family destabilization is raised, eyes start rolling, and the arguments in its favor are dismissed as far-fetched conspiracy theories. Personal choices, individual responsibility, not societal factors, are often cited as the ultimate controlling influence on human behavior. And yet it is readily conceded that the presence of fathers within strong family structures can and do influence children to make better choices. No one would deny that access to education has a huge influence on both the availability of options and the ability of individuals to choose the best options for themselves.

Few would disagree that juvenile and adult prisons are not only poor substitutes for family structures, but ultimately untenable as a societal solution to the problems of social decay. Several states, including California and Texas, have almost bankrupted themselves because of their ridiculously inflated prison populations. The math is simple. It costs close to $40,000 per year on average to house a prisoner, who, when released with no education and a criminal record, is even less likely to become a contributing member of society able to resume his role as a father to his children. On the other hand, it costs about $7,000 per year or less to adequately educate a child and produce a productive member of society who is likely to be able to assume the responsibility of fatherhood.

08/25/14The sadness of many black men in America

BY: Armstrong Williams

The sadness of many black men in America

A society in which black males with poor social skills, lack of male guidance, and poor job prospects are left to fend for themselves in poor, isolated neighborhoods. They cry out for attention with loud music, tattoos, and menacing attitudes, but until they commit an offense no one really sees them. It must be particularly vexatious to live in a town where you’re nobody until a white cop kills you. You’re definitely nobody if your killer is nobody just like you. Just a few weeks ago in Chicago, on Fourth of July weekend, 12 black men were killed by other black men. No Al Sharpton. No Obama. No one even knows their names. The fact is that although blacks are only 13% of the nation’s population, they account for over 50 percent of all murder victims. And while I do not discount the Brown family’s pain, it is obvious that black on black violence is a far greater national scandal than police homicides. About 100 blacks are killed each year at the hands of police. Over 5,000 are killed at the hands of their fellow black brothers.

There are plenty of black males in Ferguson now, as tokenism is being deployed with cynical zeal. The black highway patrol officer sent to keep the peace. The black attorney general riding in on his white jet with presidential seal to save the day. Al Sharpton shows up on cue, graying temples coiffed, somewhat gaunt, and yet no less querulous for it all. But for all of his rhetorical gifts and his inspiring example, President Obama cannot become the de facto parent for millions of America’s fatherless black youth. Solve the father problem, and the tragedy of black youth being shot down in the street at the hands of police will likely solve itself. And while it won’t make for attention grabbing headlines, that’s where the pundits should focus their attention.

I have been an entrepreneur for more than 25 years. It’s been a road to financial independence, allowing the opportunity for me to seize greater control of my personal schedule and destiny. Here are a few things to keep in mind when first embarking on the trail of entrepreneurship:

Manage your expenses, and do it well! Flushed with cash and sometimes intoxicated by the excitement of new ventures, many new business owners often make the mistake of spending money quickly in order to get the business off the ground, develop marketing materials, purchase equipment, etc. To the greatest extent possible, you must relentlessly manage those expenses. Market forces will ultimately control your ability to turn a profit, but the one area on your balance sheet that is totally within your sway is the amount of capital you rid on expenses. As with your body, live lean and you will feel healthier.

Be creative in finding your niche that separates you with uniqueness from any potential competition. For the areas where you might excel but lack experience, don’t be afraid to bring in expertise for lending advice or even introducing into partnership. Think about it, 50% ownership of a company worth $10 million is far better than a 100% stake of a failed idea.

07/29/14Your network is your net worth

BY: Armstrong Williams

Your network is your networth

In entrepreneurship you should strive to continuously stock your pipeline with new prospects. To avoid being caught without any customers you should be constantly working to line up new prospects while simultaneously servicing the customers you already have. This can be one of the trickiest balancing acts performed by a small company, especially in the case of one that is in still in their start-up phase. While the cost of acquiring customers is always higher than the cost of retaining them, the time to dig your well is before you are thirsty. This principle of preparedness is necessary not only in business but also in everyday life.

Be sure to brace yourself for turbulent times. The media paints a distorted picture of what success looks like. For a handful of companies, which really only represent a miniscule fraction of the top 1 percent of businesses, growth is explosive and off the charts. For everyone else this line doesn’t look like to be climbing higher on a chart, but more so favoring that of a roller coaster. For nearly every new business there will be dramatic ups and downs, especially in the earlier years of the business. Entrepreneurs will learn very fast whether or not they have the pertinacity to stomach the unavoidable downs that could potentially punctuate the gains.

Make no mistake about it, there is opportunity available to those willing to take a leap of faith and go it alone. The key is to know what you should expect before you take a leap with your new enterprise. Prepare yourself. Don’t look back. Try to enjoy the ride and try to avoid the killer mistakes that can cause a crash landing.

07/28/14Minimum wage fallout

BY: Armstrong Williams

Minimum wage fallout

In essence, an increase in the minimum wage results in the redistribution of incomes from the very poor, who either lose their jobs or want to get a job, to the working poor, who will get a slight pay increase. Economist Thomas Sowell sums it up well: “The net economic effect of minimum wage laws is to make less skilled, less experienced or otherwise less desired workers more expensive — thereby pricing many of them out of jobs.” Americans must seriously consider whether raising 900,000 citizens out of poverty is really worth the burden of an additional 500,000 unemployed citizens.

For those young Americans who are unemployed, an increase in the minimum wage is a disaster. The first step on the proverbial economic ladder would be chopped off, trapping those young, low-skilled Americans in poverty. Instead of hiring low-skilled individuals, businesses would speed up investment in technology, as can be seen by an increase in self-checkout machines at your local grocery store.

The Palestinian contention that “occupation” is to cause for Hamas’ militarism is absurd. Gaza is not occupied. Israel unilaterally withdrew from the area years ago, and Hamas today rules it with an iron fist.

When Israel evacuated every Israeli from Gaza, they left valuable infrastructure fully intact that the Palestinians could have used to their advantage. American Jewish donors bought for $14 million more than 3,000 greenhouses and transferred them to the Palestinian Authority. Instead of using these greenhouses to produce food for their people, the Palestinians looted the facilities and tore them down.

Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir famously declared that “peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.” Until Hamas changes course, stops its attacks, ceases incitement to hatred and finally recognizes the right of Israel to exist, it will tragically condemn both Israelis and Palestinians to more death and destruction.

07/24/14Where is our unconditional loyalty ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Where is our unconditional loyalty ?

Time and again, President Obama and Secretary Kerry have shown a propensity to pressure Israel and to somehow morally equate a Jewish state that seeks peace and respects human life and radical murderers who would rather destroy Israel than create a future for the Palestinian people under their rule. In the run-up to this latest war between Israel and Hamas, the State Department rushed to express its willingness to work with a new Palestinian unity government that included Hamas. This despite the fact that Hamas remains dedicated to the eradication of Israel and refuses to recognize prior peace agreements brokered by the United States.

07/23/14US and Israel relations

BY: Armstrong Williams

US and Israel relations

The Israelis are able to afford the Iron Dome batteries and the warheads that comprise the system thanks to vital American military assistance. For that, and for the close military and intelligence cooperation President Obama deserves some credit. Yet the most stalwart support for Israel continues to come from the legislative branch.

Congress approves military funding for Israel each year, and throughout the Obama administration the Republican held House and the Democratic Senate have been united in their support for our closest ally in the Middle East.

Yet the overwhelming impression of President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry is that they are extending a hand of friendship to Israel with one hand while holding its nose with the other.

At no other time in recent memory have relations between the White House and Jerusalem been more frosty. Some can probably be chalked up to a lack of personal chemistry between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But much of the blame for the daylight between the two allies lies in the fundamental inability of this president to understand the murderous nature of the radical Islamists of Hamas.

Time and again, President Obama and Secretary Kerry have shown a propensity to pressure Israel and to somehow morally equate a Jewish state that seeks peace and respects human life and radical murderers who would rather destroy Israel than create a future for the Palestinian people under their rule. In the run-up to this latest war between Israel and Hamas, the State Department rushed to express its willingness to work with a new Palestinian unity government that included Hamas. This despite the fact that Hamas remains dedicated to the eradication of Israel and refuses to recognize prior peace agreements brokered by the United States.

One of the most effective ways to overturn a culture is not to take it on directly, but to undermine it gradually. If you carry out a full-frontal assault on majority opinion, people become alarmed and fight back. But when you do it slowly, step-by-step, you can make your destruction look harmless... even reasonable.

That's exactly what's happening in this country.

For the past half century, there has been a slow but unrelenting attack on the Christian foundations of the United States. The evidence is beyond dispute. First, secularists took prayer out of the public schools, because it "promoted religion and alienated non-believing children." Even a simple moment of silence was too threatening.

Then they wanted the study of the Bible taken out of schools, because that "promoted Christianity." Never mind that the Scriptures form the basis of Western civilization and thought, and have inspired believers and non-believers alike over the centuries. Try reading Shakespeare or Dante or Robert Frost or just about any of the classics of Western literature without some familiarity with the Bible, and you'll be lost.

The existence of racism or prejudice is so deeply entwined in human nature that it is almost at the point of unfathomable reversibility. To fully eradicate the world of racism would be consistent with trying to rid the world of hate and jealousy. However it may be possible, though such progress remains unlikely after, quite literally, thousands of years of regress. All men may be created equal in the sight of God, but all men are not born equal. Some are born into favorable circumstances others are born into extremely unfavorable circumstances.

We live in an age where our young men unequivocally dwell on an unequal playing field, yet if we are to allow the unfavorable odds to defeat us we have lost before even competing in the game called life. The president has recognized this disparity and established the ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ initiative to help disadvantaged youths of African and Hispanic descent. This is a laudable initiative to correct a symptom, but at the core of the problem is accountability. The measure of a man’s ability to progress is directly attributable to how well he plays a hand of bad cards rather than his performance with a sure-winner.

There are certain norms and customs established in society that help create an individual and this phenomenon happens for better or for worse. If the individual has been affected by his socio-culture in a negative way, it very quickly becomes apparent that that individual did not weather well. Oddly enough, there are individuals who have endured the exact same socio-cultural conditions if not to a worsened degree who somehow manage to fare well. For this type of individual, these hardened conditions only exist to strengthen them. After all, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

Proverbs 31:10-31 provides a great description of what a woman should be – an ideal wife and businesswoman. Who would you have ever thought that the Bible promoted entrepreneurship in women? Take a look for yourself.

The biggest tragedy is when women choose to value their careers over families and relationships. This is a misguided prioritization. The proper order of priorities for a home is faith, family, friends, then education and vocation. Notice that the job actually comes last - after making sure that family, friends and self has had their needs met. In some circumstances it may be more logical for the man to stay home, and there are examples of this in society. But such a husband will require much support from his wife to endure the ridicule he will face on a daily basis from ignorant men and even some of the women he might meet while taking care of the children. Not those women shouldn’t always support and encourage their husbands, but it’s particularly important when they are acting in a non-traditional role. Conversely, it should go without saying that men should support and encourage their wives when they are gracious enough to sacrifice their careers in support of their family. This decision should never be taken for granted, and as the man would endure ridicule, so would the woman.

Behind the recent battle over the Federal Communications Commissions’ quadrennial review of television and cable ownership rules are a host of rapidly evolving economic and political dynamics. Not the least of which is, at the very top, a political decision by the executive branch to circumvent the elected Congress by implementing a series of executive orders designed to force into existence the Chief Executive’s priorities. On the economic playing field an intensifying competition for consumer attention is heating up rapidly, mostly due to the proliferation of the internet, which has given rise to a multichannel, multiplatform environment for media consumption (and thus advertiser spending).

This autocratic political environment has produced, at the FCC, an informal decision to ‘slow track’ and excessively scrutinize applications for new local broadcast station ownership by small businesses who are seeking to finance their acquisitions under what are known as Joint Sales Agreements (JSA’s) and Shared Service Agreements (SSA’s). These mechanisms have long been used by small business owners to control costs and keep the lights on. They are essential to larger media companies as well, as it enables them to make strategic acquisitions in major markets, while taking advantage of economies of scale by providing back-office services to local owners in smaller markets. Critics of the arrangements have complained that they constitute a sort of back-door consolidation among the big players, and are designed to circumvent the FCC’s media ownership rules.

The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, the costs of producing original content and attracting advertising at the local level are often crippling for individual station owners. Advertisers, for example, often prefer to negotiate large blocks of ad time in advance, and find it inefficient to negotiate separate contracts with multiple small station owners. Similarly larger broadcast networks often cannot afford the idiosyncratic risks associated with producing and managing content in smaller markets. The operating economics are quite tough for local owners, and it is usually through a combination of creativity, grit and ingenuity that they are able to survive at all. Thus, JSA’s and SSA’s are critical mechanisms for ensuring that local ownership continues to be a feature of the American media landscape.

07/15/14Our beloved holy land

Our Beloved Holy Land

BY: Armstrong William

I am thankful that from 2002 to date, I have visited (and led delegations) to Israel on sever different occasions. Each time reminded me of the price that Israelis are willing to pay as an outpost of Western values in one of the most dangerous parts of the world. I come away inspired by the resolve of the Jewish people, and their ability to transcend every challenge that is placed in their path. Obviously the latest conflicts watching from across the miles away, deeply grieves me and the deep spiritual connection that many of have with our beloved, Israel.

During times of war, Israel needs to know that it has allies. Those of us who support Israel must stand up for her in whatever ways we can. For some that could mean educating friends and neighbors about the nation’s incredible history and the strategic importance of its alliance with the United States. The faithful in America should continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and to offer their moral and financial support to our brothers and sisters in Israel.

Howard County Maryland arguably has one of the best public school systems in the country. Yet its teachers’ union is demanding more than its fair share of the spoils. How else can you explain the union’s rationale that salary increases between six and nine percent don’t constitute raises? It is this type of union behavior, combined with a refusal to be held accountable,that creates a desire among parents for better education options. Until parents are given more choice in where their children attend school, their education options will be held hostage by two-bit union officials like Paul Lemle.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday and S.C WGCV 4-5pm.

To hear educators and pundits talk you’d think we are at thedawn of a change in public school education that will herald a new commitment to providing students and parents an education worthy of the tax dollars spent. Yet, until such time that teachers’ unions stop being impediments to success, our education system will not deliver the results we need to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.

To see this play out in real time and to understand why parents deserve the ability to choose where their children go to school, one only needs to look at Howard County, Maryland,to see how union leadership can -with the tacit approval of the County Executive - stand in the way of efforts to enhance education.

Currently, teachers in Howard County have the third highest starting salary in the state and the second highest overall salary,according to the state Department of Education. To build on this,the Howard County school board is offering a guaranteed three percent raise for teachers who meet certain criteria such as years of service, advanced education and other training certificates.

To hear educators and pundits talk you’d think we are at thedawn of a change in public school education that will herald a new commitment to providing students and parents an education worthy of the tax dollars spent. Yet, until such time that teachers’ unions stop being impediments to success, our education system will not deliver the results we need to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.

To see this play out in real time and to understand why parents deserve the ability to choose where their children go to school, one only needs to look at Howard County, Maryland,to see how union leadership can -with the tacit approval of the County Executive - stand in the way of efforts to enhance education.

Currently, teachers in Howard County have the third highest starting salary in the state and the second highest overall salary,according to the state Department of Education. To build on this,the Howard County school board is offering a guaranteed three percent raise for teachers who meet certain criteria such as years of service, advanced education and other training certificates.

Affordable care is a disaster that worsens every week. We have refugees invading our borders and Congress is too weaken by Emperor Barack Hussein Obama, to take action in stopping this madness. The Middle East is in chaos. The economy is our worst in recent memory.

We have the largest national debt of any nation in the history of mankind. That is certainly a change from the booming postwar years, in which we became the wealthiest and fastest-growing nation in the history of mankind. What a change six years can make, in the history of our once pinnacle of success nation.

For most Americans, Independence Day is a lot like the beginning of a baseball game. A famous artist sings the National Anthem and everyone in the stadium stands and places their hand upon their heart. Some people sing along or at least mouth the words, but most put on a fake look of sincerity thinking, “I can’t wait till the song ends so the game can begin.”

Americans are very good at looking and sounding patriotic, but it’s fake. We put on face paint and wear ridiculous costumes for the world cup, but we fail to ponder the sacrifice made by past and present American military heroes.

We get more excited at the beginning of a sports game than when a soldier safely returns home to his wife and kids or when soldiers on a helicopter crash narrowly escape the jaws of death. We are more proud when the American soccer team scores a goal in overtime than when American soldiers successfully bring freedom to millions of people across the Atlantic.

To criticize is the right of all Americans regardless their race. No concept of the "race man" necessitates stupidity and imprudence. No chief executive can exhibit a learning curve without rich, and unfeigned, critique. The lack of deserved criticism has hurt Obama. The silence of black Americans particularly spares him the necessity to give issues of urban economic development, and education, their due. And so, black America languishes, and contributed disproportionately to the 'inequality gap' about which the president claims to care so deeply.

Without the help of the JSAs my company has entered into with Sinclair Television Group, Inc., I would not have been able to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a TV station owner. These agreements allowed me to obtain access to capital that would have otherwise been unavailable to me. Access to capital and financing are without question the single biggest obstacles to new entrant and minority broadcast ownership. Single buyers of a TV station, especially in small and medium size markets where HSH operates, simply cannot get financing without JSAs and similar types of shared services agreements. In my experience, JSAs and shared services arrangements provided the only means over that obstacle, and are thus a critical avenue for addressing the FCC’s goals of serving the public interest in fostering competition, diversity, local programming, and minority ownership. So, you can imagine how hallow it sounds to me when the FCC says its action banning JSAs is designed to “enhance broadcast diversity and minority ownership.”

Long gone are the days when the war was a shared part of the American story, unifying people across race and class; everyone knew the stories, shared the burdens, and felt for loved ones who were out fighting for us. Today, as fewer and fewer civilians choose to serve in our military, the gesture of thanking our troops is done without full understanding of their actual sacrifices, and that is yet another freedom afforded to them. It is this lack of true understanding for what their service costs that weakens the bond between the civilians and the protectors of the community.

Our veterans become like estranged family members whom we know we ought to care for, but they just seem far away. Indeed, the VA scandals in the news today are shameful, but they are really only a symptom of this disconnect. When civilians feel distanced from our servicemen, we lose a valuable part of our community: we lose those who not only had the heart to serve us, but who have become some of the world’s most skilled thinkers and organizers.

07/01/14Entrance into America's Elite Colleges

BY: Armstrong Williams

Enrance into America's Elite Colleges

Unfortunately, if your child studies hard to make good grades and test scores, that is not enough to get into one of America’s elite colleges. Children have to have a narrative arc, like a TV show. There must be an epiphany involved, and not one about the teen himself, but rather about the plight of the world and how the suffering has touched you enough to make you devote your life to everyone else.

Teaching youths altruism is not a bad thing, and I definitely encourage it. But there also has to be a realistic expectation about the probability of having such grand revelations at that particular age. Rather than accepting thousands of teenagers that saw the light on the road to Damascus, universities are inadvertently encouraging candidates to be unscrupulous.

Tell someone that they need to set up a charity to get into a school, they will set up a charity. The actual effectiveness of the charity is of no consequence; it is about good intentions. Tell a child that in order to get into Harvard, he needs to write an essay about the plight of third-world children and how he will dedicate his study of cockroaches to ending world hunger, and he will write that essay. Neither motivation nor truth is as important as perceived nobility.

Power is always the interpretive key by which to understand liberalism. The left promotes the victim mentality because it sends them sheep they can shepherd, sends them lemmings they can lead. The more they can make people feel helpless, the more people will give them power. If we all started really believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His promises, if we really started believing that God is our Father, then we wouldn’t need government to be our daddy.

Perhaps you have no faith. Then I will put it to you this way: If you don’t like your circumstances, will you let them win? Will you give in to them? Wayne Gretzky famously said that you miss all the shots that you don’t take. Will you miss all your shots, or at least try to make a few? Will you settle for blaming other people for your problems, or will you own your pain, own your struggles, own your weaknesses? Only if you do own them will the victory be yours, the reward be yours. How can you feel successful if you think you just got lucky?

As our nation continues to recover from the worst recession in a generation, our lives are awash with stories of doomsday and dread. Our college graduates are returning home to live with their parents, unable to put their degrees to use. Too many people are out of work, unable to make ends meet. Many companies are paralyzed by fear of the unknown, waiting cautiously to see how things shake out.

A society where people are judged upon their merits is better for everyone, not an entitlement society. A merits-based society naturally creates an atmosphere of competition and work that makes everyone better in return. Never being satisfied (with the right perspective of course) in any aspect of life gives us the edge to look back at the end of our days and say “I think I did pretty much all that I wanted to do.”

It would be a lot harder to look in the mirror and say “Maybe I didn’t work that hard, or try that hard or could have done better.” To look and say I tried to do everything in life I wanted to do, well, that would be satisfying regardless of success.

I am against welfare, against handouts, whether for those who won't work or for big corporations like Solyndra. The Bible says that he who will not work ought not to be fed (2 Thess 3:10), and that the man who will not provide for his family is worse than a heathen (1 Tim 5:8). We must not be encouraging, or creating a victim mentality. We do no one any favors, and we ignore the Bible, which is the Word of God. Instead, we need a supernatural outlook: faith, hope, and love (1 Cor 12). We need real hope, the kind of hope that drives away the victim mentality. And hope comes from faith.Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wisely said that "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."Take the first step.

06/23/14Attitude adjustment

BY: Armstrong Williams

Attitude Adjustment

It's about personal responsibility, the old nature v. nurture question. The Left's policies take away the consequences of our behavior and therefore take away our incentives to be good. This is what "you didn't build that" was all about: it's nobody's fault if they succeed or fail. Charles Murray talks about this at the end of Coming Apart.

Former IRS employee Lois Lerner deserves jail time. It is a stastitical improbability that her emails were lost. Consider what must happen . First, her computer and backup system must crash. Remember that most businesses backup their computer files with multiple backups. Others with emails being sought by the congressional investigation committee, were destroyed through computer crashes and backup malfunctions. Again, this series of computer crashes and backups is virtually impossible. Lois Lerner could not have destroyed these emails alone. She had to have professional help, which probably included someone high up in the IRS computer department. Under the most benign interpretation of these events, Ms. Lerner's IT manager responsible for her computer and the IRS backups, should be tried for tampering with evidence.

06/19/14Cost of illegal aliens

BY: Armstrong Williams

cost of illegal aliens

Illegal drugs and illegal aliens, as well as aliens who acquire visas through fraud enables them to work in the United States thereby suppressing wages. In fact, there is another bit of linkage between the smuggling of drugs and aliens.

It is important to understand that no matter what leaders of the countries whose citizens come to the United States, they don't want to work with us to stop the flow of their citizens. For some countries, such as Mexico, the money wired home known as remittances, account for the second greatest source of income for the Mexican economy. Last year more than $20 billion was sent from the United States by Mexican workers working in the United States. Remember, money is not only moved through remittances so the actual total amounts are even higher. It is also important to know that from a global perspective India rakes in the highest level of remittances from the First World. Last year according to published reports India received more than $60 billion, China came in second and Mexico came in third. Why in the world would the leaders of those countries really not want to be on the receiving end of this flood of dollars?

Watching the continuing debate swirling around the Washington Redskins‘ name, I can’t help but shake my head. American Indian nicknames is a tired issue that we have heard about before. Yet something seems different this time, and much of that has to do with the liberal United States Democratic Senators signing a resolution demanding a name change to help fuel the fire. While their resolution and clout in this matter is meaningless, it still has strong symbolism for a movement fueling this ridiculousness.

The Redskins name should stay. The team has a historical attachment to the name that goes back more than 80 years. The team has declared that its intention is to honor American Indians and not to demean them, so we should take them at their word. If ever there were an example of political correctness run amok, then demanding the Redskins give up their name is it.

I respect Redskins owner Dan Snyder as a successful businessman and at the end of the day the team is his investment. It’s not our place to tell him how to run his business. He can call it whatever he pleases. If some people choose to be thin-skinned and take offense, then that is their problem.

But somewhere along the way this issue regarding the Redskins also became about personal attacks, and that is a far more serious problem than some sports team’s nickname.

Rich students dominate most top universities. These bastions of higher learning claim to want “diversity,” and generally are ethnically, religiously and even geographically diverse. Socio economic differences, however, are sparse.

You can point out that lower-income families are either intimidated by the possible cost of those schools, or simply are ignorant of the financial packages available for their children, but that tries to blame the family/student rather than the problem inherent in the system.

That problem is the ever-increasing cost of jumping through the right hoops and creating the appropriate narrative in order to gain admittance.

You can pay $30,000 or more a year per child to send them to a top prep school. There they will be properly challenged, get to play a second-tier sport like lacrosse, and be offered the chance to build orphanages in Africa so their resume looks properly polished for an Ivy school.

Unless you are among the 1 percent, your child is not going to such a prep school.

06/15/14Victim Mentality paralysis

BY: Armstrong Williams

Victim Mentality Paralysis

Victim mentality creates helplessness and a very shortsighted outlook on life and circumstances. People with the victim mentality look at the immediate circumstances that are creating struggles for them and become paralyze in trying to maneuver themselves from this devastating stage in their lives. They have this bizarre perspective that they can do little or nothing to change their problems. While their problems may have been created by circumstances beyond their control, they do not accept that they can solve their problems. What happens next is actually quite sad. They look to the most convenient authority figure or big brother to rescuing them from their predicament. This authority figure may be the government, church, employer, or family members. They do not look to themselves to solve their own problems. They seem unwilling to take responsibility for their predicament and make the necessary changes and adjustments to move forward with their lives. They do not see that a baby must crawl before it can walk and run. Dealing with life’s problems requires taking the first steps on life’s journey. If your destination is a mile away, do not give up after one step because you have not yet arrived.

I have to give credit where credit is due, and right now credit is due to Terry Gross of NPR for asking the hard questions and not letting even the most powerful of guests escape scrutiny. It is part of the exalted and holy task of the journalist to get the truth out, and to treat the reader with the respect they deserve. Gross did the right thing, and asked ten times (!) when Hillary Clinton "evolved" to supporting ending the definition of marriage as it has always been known. It was telling enough that Gross had to ask so many times, both about populist politics and about the unholy secularist crusade to replace the universal marriage paradigm.

Consider what Hillary Clinton said as a shoo-in, inevitable candidate in one of the bluest states in the country said in 2000: "marriage is as a marriage always has been, between a man and a woman."

Here's shoo-in, inevitable presidential candidate in our increasingly secular, increasingly liberal 2014: "I did not grow up even imagining gay marriage and I don’t think you did either. This was an incredible new and important idea that people on the front lines of the gay right movement began to talk about and slowly, but surely, convinced others about the rightness of that position. When I was ready to say what I said, I said it."

People in Washington don't like to admit that they were wrong, no one saw Eric Cantor's primary loss coming, least of all David Brat, the economics professor who, on a shoe-string budget, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in congressional history.

Leftist politicians in Latin America and in our own country, appeal to our emotions, to our instincts. But surely we must be compassionate to the millions of Americans who do not have jobs, the millions who actually pay taxes, the millions who are already overloading our welfare system. Why do we allow the Mexican government, the Guatemalan government, and the Honduran, to exploit us? This country should be outraged at our leadership for not securing our borders. Do any of these Democrat politicians leave their doors unlocked at night?

It is not unjust that we have laws; it is unjust that some people think that they are above them. While millions wait in line, earnestly hoping to become Americans, illegal immigrants are literally thieves.

The defeat of Eric Cantor is a heavy loss for the prospects of immigration reform in Congress. The American working class just breathed a sigh of relief.

People in Washington don't like to admit that they were wrong, no one saw Eric Cantor's primary loss coming, least of all David Brat, the economics professor who, on a shoe-string budget, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in congressional history.

Leftist politicians in Latin America and in our own country, appeal to our emotions, to our instincts. But surely we must be compassionate to the millions of Americans who do not have jobs, the millions who actually pay taxes, the millions who are already overloading our welfare system. Why do we allow the Mexican government, the Guatemalan government, and the Honduran, to exploit us? This country should be outraged at our leadership for not securing our borders. Do any of these Democrat politicians leave their doors unlocked at night?

It is not unjust that we have laws; it is unjust that some people think that they are above them. While millions wait in line, earnestly hoping to become Americans, illegal immigrants are literally thieves.

The defeat of Eric Cantor is a heavy loss for the prospects of immigration reform in Congress. The American working class just breathed a sigh of relief.

We are at risk of squandering a real opportunity to make a statement about how the encroachment of government and diminishment of the rights of all Americans, especially minorities. It is really an opportunity to restate the states’ rights thesis as an enabler of freedom, not a tool for oppression.

In fact, it is critical that we do so. With an emerging majority minority electorate – an ethnic plurality – it is more important than ever that principles that will appeal to a broad cross-section of Americans come across as clear and unsullied by the mistakes of our past.

06/09/14Understanding our laws

BY: Armstrong Williams

Understanding our laws

Because of pervasive ignorance in our nation there is a severe decline in civic education. The basics of citizenship were once a cornerstone of the US educational system. Now they seem to have been lost amid a race to individualism without respect for the social good. We live in a society of laws in which there are affirmative duties of citizenship. We have a responsibility to respect the rights of our fellow citizens. This means not only that we should not violate them ourselves, but we should not be helping others violate them either. This seems to be a strange sticking point for some people, especially in the aftermath of crimes. Covering up for a crime committed by a friend or associate after the fact is in fact part of the crime itself. The law is clear about this, and yet time and again people get caught up in these situations where they become unwitting accessories for crimes committed by others.

President Obama is doubling down in his defense of his blunder in defying the rule of law, exercising poor judgment, and mischaracterizing (I'm trying to be charitable) the service of Sgt. Bergdahl in his ill-conceived 'deal' to free the lone American serviceman held captive in Afghanistan. The proximity of this poor decision to the heat of opprobrium the president was recently suffering for the VA access-to-care scandal is disquieting. When it is set against his prior action in jumping at the Joint Plan of Action to "give diplomacy a chance" in the matter of Iranian nuclear ambitions, there is a downright disturbing pattern. Is our narcissist-in-chief jumping at available, but poor, deals-in-the-offing to turn the page on his own political difficulties.

I am so torn over the Obama Administration Prisoner exchange. Bowe Bergdahl was an American fighting for our country. One can only imagine the torture and mental anguish this kid endured. Any of us would understand parents and loved ones desperately seeking the return of their child. There is a precedent in our history of prisons swaps during war. While this is not a war against a State, it is a war against terror.

The circumstances surrounding Seargant Bergdahl is a cause for concern. It is alleged by credible sources that he deserted his post when he was captured. Several soldiers lost their lives in search of Bowe. His father in a news conference praised Allah in Arabic and made twitter comments about our nation, which were most disturbing.

During his tenure as Secretary of State, John Kerry has invested huge efforts in pushing the Palestinians and Israel toward peace—he has made nearly a dozen trips to the region since 2014 began. Yet the likelihood of a final agreement seems increasingly less likely with each passing da.

America cannot want a Palestinian peace agreement with Israel more than the Palestinians themselves want it. And Israel cannot be expected to sit across the negotiating table from people who are unapologetic about wanting to eradicate them.

According to Hamas elder statesman Mahmound al-Zahar,“The reconciliation deal will not change Hamas at all and will not bring the organization to recognize Israel’s right to exist.”

So there we have it. Observers of the Middle East need not speculate about what this PA-Hamas alliance could means for progress on the peace front. Hamas has told us.

It is truly tragic that there appears no end in sight when it comes to the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel. We can only wait and see if the Palestinian Authority decides to reverse course yet again, or makes the fateful decision to continue down this path.

The Palestinian Authority’s reckless rapprochement with Hamas does nothing to advance peace. Rather, it guarantees another needless round of violence and bloodshed that will ultimately inflict serious consequences on its own people.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday and S.C WGCV 4-5pm.

First enacted in 1965, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) prohibited discriminatory voting practices that had been used to deny people, especially people of color, their constitutional right to vote.

This landmark law had wide bipartisan support and has been seen by historians as one of the most important pieces of legislation ever passed by the Congress.

Republicans have had a long history of protecting voting rights. In 1965, only one Senate Republican and only 20 House Republicans opposed the conference report that was signed into law by President Johnson. 30 voted for it in the Senate and 111 voted for it in the House. But those votes proved to be crucially important to get the bill over the top.

unsetIgnore the Constitution, Mr. President

BY: Armstrong Williams

Ignore the Constitution, Mr. President

President Obama has decided he is no longer willing to work with the Republican Party in Congress to pass legislation. His desire and will for reaching compromises has wholly diminished. He has made clear that he will henceforth move with actively implementing laws without convincing a majority of the Congress that it is the right thing to do. This is in clear violation of our Constitution.

I’m sure that President Obama has good intentions and the best interest of the American public at heart through implementing by executive order certain changes in American law. Unfortunately the only issue remains is the fact of the matter that this quite plainly is called a dictatorship. While authoritarian dictatorships ignore the will of the people, dictators will passionately hold that they know what is ultimately best for their constituents. We as Americans can expect to see our freedom drastically eroded if Congress and the Supreme Court do not impede this president at once.

05/30/14A challenge for you......

BY: Armstrong Williams

A challenge for you.....

How much time do you put into improving your mind or what you know and how important is this? What do you suggest people read? What books have helped you? Besides the bible, what was the first book you read that actually had an impact on your life, and how exactly? How old were you? Where were you when you read it? How did you feel when you finished? And what action did it lead to in your life? You have to paint pictures, give texture to your statements, and make the words come alive for the reader. Don’t talk at them, show them what you’re feeling and thinking.

What do you do today to keep your mind active? Do you play Scrabble and Chess? Because this is beyond reading books and the Bible bleeds over into the Spirit. So stick more to the ways in which you keep your mind challenged. More than that, who challenges you? How important is it to have people in your life who challenge you mentally? Do you seek out wise sages and if so, what have you learned from any? Give us the stories.

05/29/14May 9, 2014 interview with Dr. Angelou in her Winston Salem, NC home

And thank you so much for this exclusive and rare interview Dr. Angelou

Thank you very much Mr. Williams.

Dr. Angelou is there anything in your life that you have yet to accomplish.

Oh, my goodness yes, I'm in progress. I'm just like you, I want to be a good human being, I'm doing my best and I'm working at it. And I’m trying to be a Christian. I’m always amazed when people walk up to me and say I’m a Christian. I always think already? You’ve already got it? I’m working at it. And at my age I'll still be working at it at 96. If I'm here I'll be trying to be a better human being, a better writer, a better friend, and a better beloved.

What in your life over the decades have made you a better human being, that you can pass on to others ?

Well I've learned among other things, this is just off the top. I've learned that forgiving is one of the greatest gifts that I can give myself, when I forgive other people. I let them go, I free them from my ignorance. And as soon as I do I feel lighter, brighter, and better. I like that feeling, so I don’t carry somebody else's mistreatment of me around as baggage. That’s one thing that I've learned. I’ve learned to laugh, try to laugh as much as I cry. Yes I'm still practicing; I'm working at it.

The felony murder rule makes sense in most cases. It does not take a genius to figure out that violent crimes such as armed robbery can result in unintended deaths for which the robber is culpable. But what strikes me as utterly amazing is how so many of the people who have rallied to Ryan Rolle defense seem to be ignorant of the law. They point to Ryan’s case as an exception, a miscarriage of justice, the result of an overzealous prosecutor stretching the law and imposing a draconian sentence given Ryan’s relatively minor role in the actual crime. But the fact is that accomplices are convicted of felony murder all the time in the United States. If Ryan knew at the time he lent his friends the car that they were planning on using it to commit a robbery, he aided and abetted the crime. He was an accomplice under the law.

The reason why power was devolved to the states under the constitution, was not merely to avoid the harm caused by government incompetence. It was to prevent the destructive effects of government corruption – otherwise known as tyranny. The smaller and more strictly enumerated the powers of the central government, the founding fathers reasoned, the less harm it could do if captured or compromised by special interests. The line is clear. The bigger the reach of government, the more resources it controls, the more susceptible it is to corruption, and the more tyrannical the effects of that corruption become.

In potentially taking on the mantle of ownership, be it by blacks or any other race, the issue of character will remain front and center. Classifying yourself as a minority business owner will not make ownership of your enterprise any easier. It’s one thing to play the victim and blame one’s circumstances on discrimination. It’s another stance to take responsibility for one’s circumstances and succeed, not despite – but in fact because of the obstacles one faces and overcomes. Ownership changes one’s orientation towards life in that regard.

As a business owner, I rarely think about race, minority status, or society or what’s going on in someone else’s mind or in their closet. The buck literally stops with me, and I find myself much more than fully engaged with the challenges of meeting payroll, generating new ideas, and providing quality products in the marketplace. There is a certain level of being above the fray that’s necessary to manage such responsibilities. Employees may have the option of not showing up, but ownership is a 24/7 job with no days off. As an owner, one has a broader constituency than just the racial or social class to which one ascribes. In reality, owners themselves are owned by the marketplace. And because so much is riding on it – employee’s families and careers, providing critical goods and services to society at large – ownership demands the very best from us.

The reality is that ownership of a business is not an entitlement that one assumes based on one’s wealth, but it’s a job just like any other within an organization. It requires the skill ownership, which is really the judgment to make certain sacrifices in furtherance of the overall success of the organization. Unfortunately history continues to document that many owners across the board, despite having demonstrated great business acumen over the years, lose sight of this. They allowedtheir personal prejudices and, apparently, appetites, get in the way of their better judgment.

The announced partnership between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas gives Israel yet another reason to doubt the sincerity of the Palestinians’ desire for peace. Moreover, it is a direct slap in the face of the United States. Keep in mind that the Palestinian Authority owes its very existence in large part to the United States, which brokered the Oslo peace process and has provided training to the PA’s security forces and helped keep it afloat for decades with vital economic assistance.

The Palestinian Authority’s reckless rapprochement with Hamas does nothing to advance peace. Rather, it guarantees another needless round of violence and bloodshed that will ultimately inflict serious consequences on its own people.

The entire income inequality discussion continually brought up by democrats is simply another way to promote more government policies that take even more from the producing class and give to the poor.

The solution to poverty in America is not to take from the “have’s” and give to the “have not’s”. The real solution is to encourage Americans to work. Working a minimum wage job or a job that isn’t exactly what you want is part of life. Millions of Americans across the country have had to do this.

Work is the solution to poverty, not government handouts funded by the producing class of Americans.

The destructive pattern of the poor blaming the hard earning class for all their problems must end. Productive and successfully citizens don’t blame other people for their problems. They find a job, even if it’s a tough one, they work hard, especially when the going gets tough, and they move up the economic ladder.

The working class that consistently produces wealth, should not be treated as a scapegoat. It’s time for the poor to own up to their responsibilities, as financial contributors to this economy and nation.

Growing up, my father often reminded us of the 20% rule of savings and building wealth as a safety net, just in case our best laid plans didn't work out the way we would have wanted them to.

The 20% rule is a heuristic rule which encourages people to benefit from savings in their future. The rule states that if you put 20% of your income into savings with the benefit of compounding you would significantly increase your wealth. My father drilled this concept in my mind as a child growing up on the Farm. The 20% concept has been repeatedly reaffirmed as a benefit benefit derived from regular savings and investments. For example in my first job I put aside $5800.00 yearly. Even when the job had ended I continued to make the investment for 28 years. I also increased the amount I invested whenever I was promoted or made a special bonus or had substantial returns on investments from my Dick Gregory Bahamian diet and other enterprises. After 28 years of continuing to make these and other investments, that originated with a $2800 investment, my setting aside 20% of all my earnings alone by the age of 50 total $4.2 million dollars. Just think about this, the original $2800.00 yearly investment for over 28 year at the age of 50 total $600,000.00. This is a lesson in the multiplier compounded impact of saving money over time. Just like the huge oak trees that continue to grow on my parents’ farm, everything started with the first seed decades ago. Money and wealth is so similar, you can't do it quickly, it must happen with patience, steadfastness and discipline.

If we look at the first cause of poverty, which is basically a want of wealth without effort, better known as a wish, we can correctly guess that the first step towards building wealth is desire.

Napoleon Hill describes this type of desire as a burning desire. What is that? Something you cannot live without. Something you would rather die trying to attain than to live without. Now that sounds intimidating doesn't it? The burning desire is what will sustain you and allow you to grow inside when you encounter failure after failure.

The desire will cause you to examine yourself and ask what you could do better, how you could have done something better so that next time you encounter a similar situation, you will succeed? In this process you'll realize that all success is built on failure, and that is the way to learn and continue advancing in life.

Donald Sterling repugnant words marks an opportunity for African Americans to mature in the arena of expanding entrepreneur opportunities. Some American blacks have taken comfort in a position of victimhood in this society. In some respects it has removed the responsibility to take control of their own lives. For them racism has been more of a crutch than an impediment, in that it discounted personal failures and amplified personal success. The very fact that black ownership of professional sports teams remains a milestone despite the financial capacity of members of black community to purchase them, is an obvious example. Why does it take such a repugnant event to spark the ownership bug? And is the symbolism of having blacks in the owner’s box ownership possibly overshadowing the real business realities of professional sports franchise ownership?

In potentially taking on the mantle of ownership, be it by blacks or any other race, the issue of character will remain front and center. Being black will not make ownership of an NBA franchise any easier. It’s one thing to play the victim and blame one’s circumstances on discrimination. It’s another stance to take responsibility for one’s circumstances and succeed, not despite – but in fact because of the obstacles one faces and overcomes. Ownership changes one’s orientation towards life in that regard.

05/08/14Today's slave masters

BY: Armstrong Williams

Today's slave masters

Slave master's contrary to popular media portrayal, perpetrators are not all white. Boko Haram are savage criminals! It is great to see the growing support from the people and government of America. However, I ask the question would the outrage be more explosive if a white group of savages kidnapped and raped the girls and threatened to sell them? Of course responsibility does not begin with America and the international community. The response from the Nigerian government is disgracefully negligent. According to reports, the government got a tip two hours before the raid. It took them three weeks to offer a mere 300 thousand dollar reward. Three hundred thousand dollars for 230 girls in a country where billions go missing? The truth is that women are not considered equal! Boko haram are slave masters. Slave masters are slaves, the unqualified mind who oppress the most vulnerable. Tolerance ,complacency and corruption have empowered boko haram to become savages. These savages have been terrorizing Villages in northeastern Nigeria for years. The success manual for life says "When justice is not swift wickedness grows in the hearts of men."

The volume and pressure of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's call for Nigeria's government to step it up, should be increased. The consequences of tolerance towards anti-social behavior, criminal acts or any rebellious act eventually impacts the world. The Nigerian nightmare is truly a crisis in corruption and failed leadership. This oil rich country has allowed ignorance to reign in its most vulnerable communities. The unqualified minds of boko haram are selfish cowards whose prey are the weakest .

05/07/14Dangers of expanded Federalism

BY: Armstrong Williams

Dangers of expanded Federalism

In fact, the expansion of Federalism has run rampant into areas such as health care, banking, and environmental protection – virtually every area of authority once reserved for the states. In fact, under the guise of protecting racial minorities’ rights, endangered species rights, women’s rights, and a whole host of other individual rights, the Federal government has engaged in a decades’ long power grab that has made a sham of the notion of local government and individual rights in America.

And the consequences have been catastrophic. It is now mandated that if one chooses not to purchase mediocre health care from the government, often at a higher price than existing private plans, you’ll be taxed. Gone are the days when people who live in an area in which a species is being threatened can get together and decide an appropriate land use policy that supports the environment while enabling people to use the resources abundant resources our country has afforded us. In fact, the Cliven Bundy case illustrates the absurdity that arises when a bureaucrat in Washington writes land use policy that purports to save a desert tortoise – at the expense of using grazing land that has been managed for over a hundred years in a way that enables high quality beef to arrive at the American table. Oh, and by the way, there’s significant evidence that cattle ranching helps, rather than harms the desert tortoise.

Of what is Mr. Thompson afraid? Are ideas like race-blind admissions, the right of a state to guard the integrity of its elections, and advancement on merit really that dangerous? Who is it really whose stance harkens back to plantation days? Recall it was a capital offense to teach slaves to read and write for with these tools of free thinking all kinds of wild, inappropriate ideas might fly into their heads. Is Justice Thomas, the intellectually courageous jurist who continues to build an enduring legacy on the court through a litany of closely reasoned opinions, more akin to an "Uncle Tom" than Mr. Thompson is to the cruel driver of Negroes who strove to deny any vestige of free, independent, and liberating thought to the minds of his chattel? I think not. Thompson it is who would be 'Massa Boss'. Thompson it is who would be the determiner not just of what is 'right' but what it is permissible even to think. Thompson it is who would subvert the freedoms of the mind, and condemn the people he claims to serve to the depredations of big state clientism. For if they can think for themselves and do for themselves they have little need for his brand of bring-home-the-pork politics and even less need for his two-bit hucksterism masquerading as political discourse.

05/05/14Bennie Thompson would be Massa

BY: Armstrong Williams

Bennie Thompson would be Massa

Of what is Mr. Thompson afraid? Are ideas like race-blind admissions, the right of a state to guard the integrity of its elections, and advancement on merit really that dangerous? Who is it really whose stance harkens back to plantation days? Recall it was a capital offense to teach slaves to read and write for with these tools of free thinking all kinds of wild, inappropriate ideas might fly into their heads. Is Justice Thomas, the intellectually courageous jurist who continues to build an enduring legacy on the court through a litany of closely reasoned opinions, more akin to an "Uncle Tom" than Mr. Thompson is to the cruel driver of Negroes who strove to deny any vestige of free, independent, and liberating thought to the minds of his chattel? I think not. Thompson it is who would be 'Massa Boss'. Thompson it is who would be the determiner not just of what is 'right' but what it is permissible even to think. Thompson it is who would subvert the freedoms of the mind, and condemn the people he claims to serve to the depredations of big state clientism. For if they can think for themselves and do for themselves they have little need for his brand of bring-home-the-pork politics and even less need for his two-bit hucksterism masquerading as political discourse.

While there may be no monolithic approach to worshiping God, the same can be said for the myriad ways that people have available to them in order to make the world a better place. In America, we must continue to celebrate freedom of speech at the same time we steadfastly preserve freedom of religion.

In this country, those who believe in God should not feel intimidated to express their devotion. And they should never ever be muzzled by people who are willing to sacrifice the rights of their religious countrymen on the altar of political correctness.

05/01/14Omissions

BY: Armstrong Williams

Omissions

The Left is not only attacking behavior they don’t like, but attacking omissions, attacking non-activity. The most famous example of this is Obamacare, which forces people to buy something or else pay a tax.They raise your taxes, and then, when you try to put your money offshore, they try to find a way to tax it there too.First they got you to pay for the elderly to retire. Then they got you to pay for their healthcare. Then they got you to pay for the poor. Then they got you to pay for people who were just slightly above poverty.They got you to give food stamps to the poor. Then free healthcare. Then free cell phones. Then free apartments.

Who will they fleece next ?

04/30/14Our Physicians

BY: Armstrong Williams

According to the Doctor Patient Medical Association, 83% of American doctors have considered retiring because of Obamacare.

Thousands of doctors will retire rather than worry about the new laws, taxes, and legal liabilities. Eventually, there won’t be enough doctors to take care of all these people qualifying for free stuff. The money for free stuff will run out.

The next step everyone already knows from looking at Canada and Europe. Waiting for a doctor will be like waiting for bread behind the Iron Curtain. The problem will worsen and worsen.

Unless the whole system simply collapses, we all know the final step: compulsion. When you run out of money and they can’t tax you anymore, they will simply compel you to do it. After the individual mandate, there can only be a doctor retirement ban.

Anyone with a background in early modern political thought can see this coming: all rights have corresponding duties. If you add rights, you add duties. The government has added the right to healthcare, so someone has to have the duty togive healthcare. As that pool of people shrinks, there is only one way to fix it: by force.

There are so many problems that can be solved by having money. You can get better medical care if you are sick, employ people to help with tasks that are time consuming and routine, thus freeing one’s time up to focus on the really important things in life. It’s also possibly to travel and expand one’s horizons, and to acquire possessions that make life more enjoyable.

So why, if having money has so many benefits, is the desire to become wealthy viewed with such scorn among some people in this country? There seems to be a growing sensibility among some that the wealthy are inherently greedy or selfish and don’t care about their fellow human beings. Worse yet, some claim that people with money are working in cahoots to deny the opportunity to others. From my perspective this is totally a wrongheaded approach. It assumes that the blessing one person receives automatically diminish the prospects for others. This is a scarcity mentality based upon fear and greed. This attitude is not just found among the poor, however. Some wealthy people also think this way.

I believe god wants us to prosper not just survive. He wants us to enjoy the bounties of the earth upon which we have been placed. If no, why would he have given us talents, desires and ambitions? These are innate motivations within all of life to grow and live a better life. Every living organism seeks to maximize its’ chances for survival and propagation.

04/28/14How many Donald Sterling's with power, is still lurking in the dark ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

How many Donald Sterling's with power is still lurking in the dark ?

Donald Sterling's corrosive and divisive opinions are shocking and deeply troubling. I don't understand how Sterling with such a strong Jewish heritage, could harbor such undeniable hatred for Blacks. Does he understand our common shared history of oppression and genocide. More importantly, does he not understand that race is the least important determinative of a persons God given talents. What matters is the persons moral and ethical character . Americans must look at individuals and not at groups in making a judgement about people.

Is Sterling feeling deep seeded resentment out of a need to feel superior ? After all, he makes substantial money from the labor of black people. How can you employ and promote people that you hate and despise? How was it possible that the NAACP gave Sterling it's highest award, knowing his long racist past ?

Yes, he is 81 years old and grew up in the pre civil rights era. Yet, he has lived most of his life in the post civil rights era, where his brand of racism is utterly unacceptable. I am sure his children and grandchildren, while aware of his raw racism, cringe at his bringing it into the open public. In addition his friends and colleagues must be greatly embarrassed by their relationship, one in which they tolerated his private thoughts. Let us hope that this unabashedly racism dies with Sterling's generation.

I want to tell you one more thing I know about ignorance, which it is merely a nickname for Nevada's Virgin River Rancher, ClivenBundy. Bundy's statement that the African American community "put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton" is simply beyond the pale. It is quite frankly insulting, racist and reflective of a bygone era in American society, an era that we have striven to bring to an end because of the hurtful divisions it caused in our nation. Even more troubling is Bundy's speculation that blacks are "better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy." His feeble attempt at justification, claiming "they didn't get no more freedom. They got less freedom," merely added insulting our intelligence to injuring our sense of justice. I seriously doubt that if Bundy's family and supporters were descendants of slaves who were whipped senseless, tarred & feathered, and lynched for hundreds of years in this country, he would profess these ridiculous beliefs. It is genuinely troubling to see such a combination of racism and ignorance much so alive and strong in America more than 50 years after the Civil Rights movement sought to end racism and prejudice as the lingua franca of American social and political discourse.

The good news is that I have always been, and remain, someone who has transcended race. Much like the ancients, to me one's family, one's place, one's religion, one's trade are more important shapers of self than race. I am not alone. I have a friend, who is black but who's wife is white, who when asked, "What's it like to be in a mixed marriage?" wryly replies, "I wouldn't know, we're both Lutheran!" To him, the common mindset provided by a unified approach to the essential questions of life is more important than sharing skin pigmentation. Race hasn't vanished of course, but it need not be determinative or even necessarily very important.

04/23/14The divide and conquer party

BY: Armstrong Williams

The divide and conquer party

The Democrat created artificial “war on women” campaign is their desperate attempt by Democrats to anger the woman vote against conservative Republicans. On “Equal Pay Day”, earlier this month, the White House cited numbers from the census bureau that women get paid 77 cents for every dollar men make. When asked by a reporter about the accuracy of the statistic as it relates to gender discrimination, considering the fact that women in the White House only make 88 cents on the dollar, press secretary Jay Carney struggled to answer the question.

Many variables account for the difference in pay between men and women, but none of those variables have to do with Republicans hating women. The “war on women” campaign against Republicans is a flimsy stack of cards that when blown on with facts, falls over.

04/22/14Bill Maher and God ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Bill Maher and God ?

Comedy has many approaches and subjects: leaders, governments, things we don't understand. In the vein of the latter, I suppose it is understandable to pick on religions. In any event, freedom of speech allows it. What is generally not condoned, however, is continuous and repeated sweeping insults to those with a differing point of view. The worst forms of prejudice and racism are bred out of this type of one-sided banter. Blacks in this country were never given the chance to defend themselves against claims of being less intelligent than whites during the time of slavery. Jews and non-Aryans were never given a chance to defend their humanity during the Holocaust, Muslims were never given a chance to defend themselves during the Crusades and on and on.

Whenever a group of people is slanderously described repeatedly with no consideration of a contrary view intolerance flourishes, and the seedbed of human rights violations is laid. We should be more careful. Our country still feels the effects of slavery, the Holocaust is an unmentionable tragedy, and even the most fervent Christian regrets the Crusades. How is it then, that in this country we still hear this sort of rhetoric from seemingly intelligent men? Why is it that yet another group is being subjected to one-sided slander? Is it because comedians and some members of the more serious media are only willing to pick on people who generally don’t defend themselves?

Armstrong Williams is sole owner/manager of Howard Stirk Holdings, Inc and Executive Editor of American Current See

04/16/14Developing an attitude of self reliance

BY: Armstrong Williams

Developing an attitude of self reliance

The best solution in drastically reducing poverty is marriage. A single person with a child making ten dollars an hour, make $20,000 yearly. A married couple with a child at the same rate make $40,000 annually. They live a lower middle class and not a poverty life style. By living together their expenses are lowered per person and their joint family income allows them to substantially exceed the poverty levels. The policy implication resulting from this observation, is that government should do everything it can to promote marriage and discourage out of wedlock births. Government assistance should never discourage anyone from working or getting married, it should set the standard for developing a self reliance attitude.

04/15/14The Strength of our former slaves

BY: Armstrong Williams

The Strength of our Former Slaves

The descendants of our nation's former slaves constitute the legacy of a deep spiritual well. A well so deep, and a force so powerful, that their forebears could endure the perils of the middle passage and the systemic depravity of intergenerational slavery in a foreign land. Not only did they survive, but they prospered and gave to their new homeland the finest elements of its culture: jazz, the so-called Negro spirituals, and the moral excellence of the Civil Rights movement. The accomplishments of other minorities resonate as well. In war, in peace, in culture and in commerce, all have come and all have contributed to the rich tapestry of America. Still, despite these riches, the passage of time, and expansion of opportunity, there is yet still a burden to bear. Nowhere more so than in their political outlook. If America is going to have a spiritual revival of faith, of values, and of accomplishment, it can have no better starting place than in the sons and daughters of its former slaves and immigrants. I believe our nation is now at the precipice of chaos, a chaos that ravages and affects minority communities above all, but it need not be so.

03/03/14Longevity and Social Security

BY: Armstrong Williams

Logevity and Social Security

Interestingly enough, there were more centenarians in 2010 then there were Social Security recipients in 1937, the first year benefits were distributed. Those first recipients received a total of $1.278 million in 1937. The Class of 2010 centenarians had received no less than $18 billon at the time of the ’10 census. That is $18 billion with a B.

There is absolutely no way that FDR thought social security would pay 53,364 people a monthly stipend for over 35 years. Less than 1% of the U.S. population was 65 or older in 1940, by 2011 that figure exceeded 18%. To give those percentages a number, 222,488 people in 1940 versus over 56 million in 2011.

The lifespan of the average American in 1935 was already unprecedented in the history of the world. In 1900, the average lifespan was 31 years, which was the norm for every advanced civilization at their peaks. Hobbes may have been describing the State of Nature when he said life was “…nasty, brutish, and short,” but it just as much describes life in civilization until the last half of the 20th Century.

I know many of you are thinking, “Armstrong’s writing another Social Security is going to fail column. Ho hum.” But no, that point is obvious and has been written to death.

No institution could prepare itself for the unprecedented extension of life we have seen in the past 100 years. Humans were not designed to live as long as we have. Our longevity has not only fundamentally changed how our governments and institutions must deal with us, it has changed how we relate to others and ourselves.

02/28/14President Obama. "I am my brothers Keeper"

BY: Armstrong Williams

President Obama. "I am my brothers Keeper"

President Obama should be commended for his recent speech in Chicago urging young black men to be more accountable and responsible.

The less you can control your “oppression” the easier it is to accept and more fun it is to complain about how life is so unfair to you.

So you delude yourself into believing a lie that transfers your own deep-seeded culpability onto the people you feel responsible.

Go ahead, blame it on the system’s secret preference for whiteness. Doing so is easier than acknowledging that you screwed by not giving your all or facing the fact that your parents taught you that no matter what you do, society wants you to fail.

Rather than overcome, you stew in rage and jealousy that you were not born with a silver spoon.

The left relishes in your resentment. It uses those feeling to convince people that it is protecting people from some nebulous evil "others" when it is actually trying to control society by protecting people from themselves. Every bill they write and law they enforce centers around their underlying assumption that a group of supposed “experts” know better than you.

In the case of white privilege, they are protecting you from facing the fact that you are ultimately responsible for your own success or failures.

Not only that, the left is trying to distract blacks with indignation over perceived injustices that we accept a government controlled by the left as our only salvation.

Once you buy into to their vision, you see the world trough a paranoid and pessimistic prism where everything is an intricate network out to exclude you regardless of race, class, or gender. You cannot be judged on your own merits, rather you fail because you are not in the right group or club.

Security guards at our schools and better mental health treatment plans are decent enough ideas, but I’m doubtful that they will have the greatest impact toward reducing gun violence in our country. Do you believe from your experiences that the best solution to this problem is in the form of tighter gun controls?

President Obama’s proposal, introduced earlier this year, includes more restrictions. Do you feel the following restrictions that he is recommending are reasonable ? One, he seeks to reinstate the ban on assault weapons that passed in 1994 and expired in 2004. He also wants to ban magazines with more than 10 rounds, as well as to expand national background checks for all gun sales. He feels this would close a loophole that currently allows gun sales with no background checks at gun shows and private sales. The President’s expansion of national background checks would include exceptions for transactions between family members. Again, do these additional regulations seem reasonable and progressive.

02/26/14Securing our borders

BY: Armstrong Williams

Securing our Borders

Whenever asked about the need to build a fence on the border,many respond by saying that the fence on that border is comparable to a wing on an airplane. Without the wing the airplane will not fly, however, a wing by itself goes nowhere. Many experts believe there are actually 50 border states, any state that has an international airport or access to America's coastline has to be considered as much a border state as are those states that lie along America's northern and southern borders.

The southwest border has to be secured. That border is very unique, it is the only place on our planet where the First World collides with the Third World. That border poses a threat to national security and all of the challenges that illegal immigration creates for America and Americans. Fixing the immigration system will require far more than a fence on the U.S./Mexican border, without truly enforcing the immigration laws from within the interior of the United States.

It is estimated that 40% of the illegal aliens in the United States did not run our borders and enter the United States without inspection. They were lawfully admitted into the United States and then, in one way or another, violated the terms of their admission by remaining long after their authorized period of admission expired. They accepting illegal employment, failing to attend schools for which they were admitted to attend or otherwise failing to abide by their terms of admission.

02/24/14Why not a choice in your child's education ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Why not a choice in your child's Education?

The majority of politicians, including President Obama, on theleft have given into the power of the Teacher’s Unions. The President and majority leader of the Senate, Harry Reid, refuse to bring up school voucher legislation in Congress. Republicans continue to introduce school choice legislation, but no progress is made. Last month, Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina introduced a bill that would provide $11 billion in federal funding to low-income families for vouchers to attend a private school. Many of these low-income families are of color and live in dangerous inner cities, but it would seem that politics is once again coming before our children’s education. The chance of this legislation passing is a long shot.

But the status quo cannot last forever. America’s current education system is based on a top-down one-size-fits-all government approach, but it doesn’t have to stay this way. America’s children are blessed with a variety of gifts and skills. The government doesn’t know your child like you do. Parents, not government, understand the strengths and weaknesses of their children and how best they learn and grow. School choice is a fair and simple way to begin allowing the parent to make the decision of how best to educate their child. After all, God has given parents the primary responsibility of educating their children.

The verdict on increasing the minimum wage is in. It is set forth in the recently released non partisan, CBO report. On the plus side of the ledger, increases in the minimum wage from seven and a quarter to ten dollars and ten cents will lift 900,000 Americans from poverty. On the negative side 500,000 Americans will lose their jobs. In essence, the increase in the minimum wage is the redistribution of income from the very poor who either lose their jobs or want get a job, to the working poor who will get an increase. Americans must seriously consider whether raising 900,00 citizens out of poverty is worth the burden of 500,000 unemployed citizens. If you are an unemployed young American and unable to begin the accent on the employ ladder, the minimum wage increase is a disaster. If you are a low income citizen whose income increases by $3 an hour, the minimal wage is nominally a 30% increase in your income. Unfortunately, there is an implicit high marginal tax on this incremental income, estimated at roughly 50%. It includes the loss of certain benefits, including food stamps and tax credits. Truly, there are better ways to improve the living standards of lower income Americans, than by this inequitable transfer of income from the unemployed poor to the working poor.

Many may still scoff at women who choose the road of motherhood, but it’s by taking this high road that this and every other society can be elevated to a place where everyone can reach the American dream. Women, by nurturing their families and supporting their husbands, can be the greatest force for positive change in America. However, if we continue with our selfish and greedy ways, we will continue to destroy the land our forefathers fought for and that we’ve come to love. In doing so we will complete the undoing of the most sacred institution mankind has known since the beginning of civilization, the family where two parents and their children are the most sacred of all.

02/14/14Empowering Women

BY: Armstrong Williams

Empowering Women

Today becoming a mother is seen as a career-stopper. In reality it should be an opportunity for a woman to become a part-time entrepreneur with a greater earning potential than the employee her husband most likely is. With the financial security and rewards of her husband’s earned income, she can work on building a business from home. If it gets to a point where it can bring in more money than her husband is making, there's always the possibility that they can eventually join forces and work in tandem from home together full time. Can you imagine what an incredibly creative and productive society we’d have if our young women were compelled to think and advocate in this way?

Proverbs 31:10-31 provides a great description of what such a woman would be – an ideal wife and businesswoman. Who would you have ever thought that the Bible promoted entrepreneurship in women? Take a look for yourself.

02/13/14Nigeria's potential as a global leader

BY: Armstrong Williams

Nigeria's Potential as a global leader

It must halt the brain drain of its best, brightest and most educated young people, many of whom depart from the country in search of greater opportunities. An estimated 3 million-plus Nigerians are in the U.S. and Canada with many others residing in the United Kingdom. The departure of human capital should be halted and then ultimately reversed to welcome back the human capital that will propel the nation forward.

Nigeria must also find ways to relentlessly battle corruption and improve its global image as a hotbed for lawlessness and scams. These hurt the image of the country, and too often overshadow the positive attributes for which Nigeria should be receiving attention.

The security situation must also be further stabilized, and investments in infrastructure and education must proceed apace.

Perhaps more than any other country on the continent, Nigeria possesses the resources and resolve to grow and develop into a major global player. It will take time and lots of hard work.

But as it enters its second century, Nigeria’s future appears to be one of limitless promise and potential.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday and S.C WGCV 4-5pm.

Parents who are unwilling or unable to provide the best opportunity for their children, ought to think longer and harder about having children before they’re truly ready for the commitment.

Am I saying that every career woman should give up her job to support her children? Of course not. Some women, whether through divorce, death or severe financial hardship, have no choice but to work and let someone else raise their children during daytime hours. I’m saying there’s a conversation that ought to be had before getting married and having to determine the consequences of those decisions If both partners want to continue in their careers, maybe it’s not time to have children yet. In the case of single mothers, Like I said before, I am not suggesting that mothers who are forced to work – as is increasingly the case – out of financial necessity are bad mothers who ought to run out and put their kids up for adoption. But, I might suggest that they take a look at their financial situation and see what can be done that might allow for them to be able to work less – or not at all – until their children are in school. Again, this is not possible for everyone, perhaps not even a majority of working mothers, but I would bet there are some families who could trim a little around the edges and determine that, with a few sacrifices, it is possible to leave the job behind so that their children can thrive fully.

The United States admits nearly a half million foreign students, many of whom ultimately are given permission to work under the aegis of “practical training.” Then there are the Exchange visitors, aliens with various work visas including high tech H-1B visas, etc.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform would permit three times the current number of H-1B visas to be issued to foreign workers and would, for the first time, as permitted in the Senate immigration bill, S. 744, permit the wives and adult children of H-1B visa holders to be granted Employment Authorization Documents (EAD's). These cards signify that they have as much right to nearly any job in the United States as any American or lawful immigrant.

The consequence is that in addition to suddenly dumping unknown millions of authorized foreign workers into an already overflowing labor pool of unemployed and underemployed American workers, we would be importing many more additional authorized foreign workers.

The United Nations estimates that while some $200 billion was wired out of the United States last year by foreign workers in the United States, this number would rise. Because of the “multiplier effect” this is the functional equivalent of more than a half-trillion dollars being siphoned out of the American economy.

Despite the setbacks it’s getting back to the days of “more than just a game” with the coming Olympics in Russia. In a weeks time, we will get to learn more about Russia, as we did China In 2008. That summer, China tried to sugarcoat its human rights violations and negatives throughout the game, but they still couldn’t hide the smog broadcast around Beijing. Putin has a horrible record on human rights, and is actively driving Russia backwards. He actively supports our enemies in Syria and Iran and constantly seeks to belittle President Obama; he is going to attempt to disguise the American public with an aesthetic appearance of the Olympic village, in order to change our public opinion to further himself on the international stage. We need to see through this, and realize our country offers better ideas, and a better way of life. I hope we enjoy the Olympics for the games, but also see the games as an exhibition for our countries values, and hope they win.

02/06/14Minorities can never get a break from the Democratic plantation

BY: Armstrong Williams

Minorities can never get a break from the Democratic plantation

The sadtruth, however, is that black and Hispanic conservatives continue to be stigmatized either as dupes or traitors to their own race. But what youll often hear from black conservatives is that the lefts solutions to the problems that ail minority communities are themselves racist, since they operate on the fundamental premise that minorities are incapable. Theres almost nothing, according to Democrats, that minorities can accomplish without the help of the government. To hear some Democrats speak, minorities are incapable of doing just about anything without a handout or a leg up. Believing " as white and black conservatives alike do " that minorities dont need anyones help to get ahead in life may be nave, but it is not racist. And certainly not as racist as the notion underpinning Democratic policy: that minorities cant make it in this world

without free money, special scholarships, quotas, affirmative action, lower admissions standards, and other mechanisms employed to propel them forward.

01/30/14Nothing new in Obama's State of the Union Rhetoric

BY: Armstrong Williams

Nothing new in Obama's State of the Union Rhetoric

It is unfortunate that there is nothing new in the Presidents agenda for 2014. His speech was wrapped in the worn out rhetoric of class warfare and populism. It included the income inequality through re-distributive means, such as minimum wage laws and extending unemployment benefits. These do not improve the structural growth of middle class wage earners. All they do is reduce the number of available jobs and increase unemployment rates. There is no meaningful discussion of reforming Obamacare to make it a viable healthcare system that provides "affordable" and quality healthcare to Americans. There are no new ideas or proposed compromises on immigration to bring about true reform. There is no meaningful discussion of tax reform or energy policies too improve our economy. As a matter of fact other than lip service to speed the country’s economic recovery there is nothing substantive that practical economist give credence to that will actually achieve the goals set forth in our President’s rhetoric.

Last night President Obama, the former professor of Constitution law, effectively announced that as president of the United States he was ignoring the spirit of the constitution. Because he was unable to get agreement with congress he is willing to use executive power to implement laws that Congress will not support. A good leader does not only have good ideas but they are able to convince his political adversaries that these ideas are good. President Obama has decided he is no longer willing to work with the Republican congress to pass legislation. He is no longer willing to compromise. He will go and implement laws without convincing a majority of the Congress that it is the right thing to do. This is in clear violation of our Constitution.

01/24/14Guns

BY: Armstrong Williams

Guns

I could never imagine losing a son or daughter to gun violence. For parents that have experienced this tragedy, I can’t imagine their grief. But I do believe that their first thought, in most cases, was I wish the shooter didn’t have a gun or that my child was somewhere else or that I was there to protect them. But I seriously doubt their first thought was I wish my child had a gun.

The gun debate is not about taking away our freedom. It’s about protecting our citizens. If the NRA could open its thinking to include that perspective, I believe they could be a real force in this country for positive change. They could then generate ideas that would have a greater impact on reducing gun violence. That in turn would help them further their primary mission of protecting our rights under the Second Amendment as they would be viewed by both sides of the debate as proponents of responsible gun ownership rather than a group that blindly protects gun rights at the expense of the innocent. The opportunity has presented itself, but are the NRA’s leaders savvy enough to take advantage of it?

Many minority communities either emphasize “get rich quick” ideas, or strive for professional athletics or entertainment, trying to hit the million dollar mark by their early twenties. In these regards minorities have exploited themselves, as they make money off of their likeness, as in an exhibition. Not to discredit or attack any individual’s accomplishments through these fields, but what these communities must realize is that they must diversify; they cannot place all of their eggs in one basket, least of all one as small as that. Often, once the professional athlete gains his riches he does not understand how to turn that into wealth. According to Sports Illustrated, 78% of NFL players go bankrupt or nearly broke just two years into retirement. Among NBA veterans, 60% fall into the same predicament after five years.

What we need is for businessmen to get more involved in their communities outside of the school system. Instead of building another youth basketball center in a self-righteous act, they need to build centers to teach kids about computers and business.

01/15/14Should the truth always be told ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Should the truth always be told ?

It is in this context that I want to bring up my own philosophical struggles with this issue. I have often told a close friend that I would lie in a heartbeat if I thought it would save his life. Of course this raises another issue of whether it’s okay to intentionally deceive in order to protect someone else – we can all think of extreme situations where people are faced with this dilemma – this occurred in the times of the Underground Railroad, when some hid runaway slaves and aided them in traveling to freedom and safety in the northern United States. Or with those who hid Jews during World War II, knowing that betraying them meant them being sent to concentration camps and almost certain death. This brings us to an “ends justifying the means” argument, which is always a slippery slope, and I have no easy answers for it. Is it okay to lie to save someone’s life? That is to beg the question of whether the end can ever justify the means. Generally speaking it does do not, especially since we, as humans, can never see the whole picture; therefore, our choices are flawed because our perspective doesn’t give us enough information to be sure we’re making the right call.

01/14/14Upcoming Olympics

BY: Armstrong Williams

Upcoming Olympics

The Olympics really aren’t truly international games anymore, for the Summer Olympics so many athletes live and train in the United States, yet they still play for their country? Take advantage of our county, facilities, and coaches even, but then your medals go elsewhere? We are such a globalize society now, I understand, but I think the old mystique was what made the Olympics great. When I was younger, I knew our athletes trained in our country and the soviets trained in theirs, it seemed like a more even playing field at least. That nationalistic luster has had its day, and it’s what made the Olympics great.

01/13/14Slave Labor from illegal immigrants

BY: Armstrong Williams

Slavor labor from illegal immigrants

Illegal immigrant labor is a performance enhancing drug with wide side effects. By hiring illegals, companies get an edge over other firms that don’t. They buy cheap labor from individuals who have no civil rights whatsoever: they cannot complain if they are cheated on their paycheck, protest unhealthy working conditions, or reject wages beneath the minimum federal wage level. If they do complain, they can be immediately detained and sent back to their countries of origin with none of the due process that would be accorded an American citizen. And so this keeps them in their place – a place of legal limbo - and gives U.S. firms access to what is essentially slave labor.

Where is global warming when we need it? The Midwest is experiencing temperatures plunging to 36 below zero. Former Vice President Al Gore assured the world in his book "Inconvenient Truth" that this thing called global warming was taking place. If we were not to reduce our carbon emissions, energy consumption, and our economic output immediately, world temperatures would rise five degrees, polar ice caps would melt, and the oceans would rise over two feet. Mr. Gore should have entitled his book "Inconvenient Myth". The real life facts that we face today are not in the slightest of alignment with the allegations presented in his book. Temperatures in the US are at lows not seen in two decades and a scientific Russian ship-vessle is ice-bound in the Antarctic Ocean recquiring multi-national rescue efforts. We welcome Mr. Gore flying around in his private jet, burning outrageous amounts of fossil fuel in order to increase world temperatures. Thank you Mr. Gore unfortunately you have not created the carbon footprint we much needed this ever cold winter.

01/06/14Al Gore and global warming

BY: Armstrong Williams

Al Gore and global warming

Where is global warming when we need it? The Midwest is experiencing temperatures plunging to 36 below zero. Former Vice President Al Gore assured the world in his book "Inconvenient Truth" that this thing called global warming was taking place. If we were not to reduce our carbon emissions, energy consumption, and our economic output immediately, world temperatures would rise five degrees, polar ice caps would melt, and the oceans would rise over two feet. Mr. Gore should have entitled his book "Inconvenient Myth". The real life facts that we face today are not in the slightest of alignment with the allegations presented in his book. Temperatures in the US are at lows not seen in two decades and a scientific Russian ship-vessle is ice-bound in the Antarctic Ocean recquiring multi-national rescue efforts. We welcome Mr. Gore flying around in his private jet, burning outrageous amounts of fossil fuel in order to increase world temperatures. Thank you Mr. Gore unfortunately you have not created the carbon footprint we much needed this ever cold winter.

01/03/14Benghazi Manipulation

BY: Armstrong Williams

Benghazi Manipulation

Does the Obama administration truly believe that We The People are ignorant and will blindly accept everything thing they and The New York Times tell us as truth? Last week this administration reported that the Benghazi incident had no significant affiliation or relations with Al-Qaeda. The report maintained that the raid of the American Consulate was the result of a mere spontaneous riot which was raised in response to an anti-Muslim film. Unfortunately for the Obama administration and NY Times' story, spontaneous riots never actually occur with the sort of precision planning involving the usage of military grade weapons that were used in the instance of the American Consulate attacks in Benghazi, Libya. Furthermore, in progressively undermining the Times' maintaining of their report, none of the Americans whom were actually there on the ground in Benghazi at the time find their report to be anything more than a great distance from the truth. In bringing light to the fact of the matter that American sources on the ground firmly hold that it is gravely implausible for the Times to even remotely suggest that the attacks in Benghazi was anything short of a highly sophisticated attack coordinated by Al-Qaeda or any other international terror group for that matter, would be purely ludicrous. Fortunately, bi-partisan efforts have been launched in Congress in challenging the fairy tale of a report.

Was this version of the Benghazi affair an attempt to exonerate Hillary Clinton from the State Department's disastrous performance done as a quid-pro-quo towards former president Bill Clinton for his support of Obama in the 2012 election?

01/02/14Benghazi redux

BY: Armstrong Williams

Benghazi redux

Does the Obama administration truly believe that We The People are ignorant and will blindly accept everything thing they and The New York Times tell us as truth? Last week this administration reported that the Benghazi incident had no significant affiliation or relations with Al-Qaeda. The report maintained that the raid of the American Consulate was the result of a mere spontaneous riot which was raised in response to an anti-Muslim film. Unfortunately for the Obama administration and NY Times' story, spontaneous riots never actually occur with the sort of precision planning involving the usage of military grade weapons that were used in the instance of the American Consulate attacks in Benghazi, Libya. Furthermore, in progressively undermining the Times' maintaining of their report, none of the Americans whom were actually there on the ground in Benghazi at the time find their report to be anything more than a great distance from the truth. In bringing light to the fact of the matter that American sources on the ground firmly hold that it is gravely implausible for the Times to even remotely suggest that the attacks in Benghazi was anything short of a highly sophisticated attack coordinated by Al-Qaeda or any other international terror group for that matter, would be purely ludicrous. Fortunately, bi-partisan efforts have been launched in Congress in challenging the fairy tale of a report.

Was this version of the Benghazi affair an attempt to exonerate Hillary Clinton from the State Department's disastrous performance done as a quid-pro-quo towards former president Bill Clinton for his support of Obama in the 2012 election?

12/19/13Jesus race, the Human race

BY: Armstrong Williams

Jesus race, the human race

By “proving” Jesus is one skin color or another, many people believe it discredits the history of another race while empowering their own. If Jesus were white, then God is white and favors Caucasians. On the other hand, proving He was black serves to affirm black aesthetics, culture, and history. Furthermore, “authenticating” Jesus’ heritage can insinuate that one group is oppressing the truth in order to subvert history and a race of peoples.

We can point to historical examples of groups twisting Jesus’ heritage. In the 20th Century alone we saw the Klu Klux Clan co-opt Jesus for religious justifications to oppress and lynch blacks. Nazi Germany actively pushed the idea of the Aryan Jesus, fabricating scholarship about Aryan colonies in Judea and such, in a direct attempt to de-Jewify Jesus.

Every insistence that Jesus is actually such and such ethnicity only serves to demean Christianity, obfuscate Jesus’ message, and create hate and bitterness.

Why do we continuously allow ourselves to be distracted by these meaningless and divisive opionions about our Jesus and Santa's race?

12/18/13Obamacare worsening nightmare

BY: Armstrong Williams

Obamacare worsening nightmare

Obamacare is actually worse than even the skeptics realize. I have a dear friend of mine who had a medical issue that was covered under his policy pre-Obamacare. It had adequate medical coverage, which covered his physicians, reasonable deductibles, and he was overall content with the plan. Unfortunately this policy did not cover certain treatments that Obamacare deems unnecessary. These omitted coverages included drug and alcohol abuse, contraception, post natal-care, and psychiatric treatment. My friend being in his mid 60's and a non drinker felt that these costly provisions were not necessary for him. When my friend thought that he might have prostate cancer earlier this fall he setup appointments with his physicians to move forward with treatments following a biopsy. At that point he was forced to change policies to one compliant with Obamcare provisions. Unfortunately, his urologist was not affiliated with one of the groups in compliance of the Obamacare provisions. Furthermore, once discovering that his deductible for out of network services increased three fold, my friend sought out a new physician that was Obamacare compliant discovering that setting up an appointment would take 30 to 60 days for preliminary testing and 90 days to have a biopsy performed. My friend made the rational decision not to play with a potential diagnosis of cancer and stuck with his original appointments and physicians, resulting in paying out of pocket.

This is just another example of the three big lies of Obamacare: If you like your insurance policy you can "keep it"; If you like your physicians you can "keep them"; Americans will save money under "Affordable Care Act".

There is an idea in government called the "noble lie," suggesting that some things are better left in the dark for the general public if we wish to conduct affairs of governance properly and maintain a safe and peaceful society. The noble lie extends to such matters as foreign diplomacy and national defense. The notion is that politics is a dirty game, and sometmes peeling back the layers can have a disastrous effect on the public trust, not to mention international relations.Obviously, what comes to mind is the government now considering cutting a deal with Edward Snowden. Do you not believe that our government has it's own agenda and we will never know the true facts for these negotiations until decades later?

The question is : Will we be any better off knowing the truth in this Snowden/government case ?

I would argue yes, we are better for knowing. Transparency is one of the cornerstones of good governance and democracy.

12/16/13Immigration non entry

BY: Armstrong Williams

Immigration denied entry

The easiest way I can prove the real importance of our immigration laws is to call your attention to a specific section of the Immigration and Nationality Act, (Title 8, United States Code, Section 1182) that establishes the categories of aliens who are to be excluded from the United States. It is vital to note that there is absolutely no distinction made about race, religion or ethnicity.

Among classes of aliens who are ineligible to enter the United States are those who suffer dangerous communicable diseases or who suffer from extreme mental illness and are prone to violence or are sex offenders are to be prevented from entering the United States as are aliens who have been previously deported, are convicted felons, or are fugitives from justice. Additionally, aliens who are human rights violators, war criminals, spies and terrorists are also deemed excludible as are aliens who would become public charges or work illegally, thereby displacing Americans in the workforce or causing wages or working conditions to be adversely impacted.

12/13/13Your thoughts please

BY: Armstrong Williams

Sought out a different perspective on ACA from someone I respect. The following is her response. What are your thoughts ?

"With regard to the Affordable Care Act, I have not changed my mind. At all. Am I beyond disappointed in the exchange rollout and believe that a few folks should be fired, including Kathleen Sibelius? Absolutely. However, I still believe and fully understand the benefits of the law when it comes to accessibility of care and the trend toward the of coordination of care and a shift away from a fee for service mentality that is driving a lot of the costs. Remember that I have a very different perspective than most people as a former health insurance executive and have been in meetings with CEOs, business leaders, physicians, and policy leaders discussing what to do with regard to an exchange strategy, accountable care organizations, increasing transparency in costs for patients, etc. Those conversations would not have happened any time soon without the ACA, and at its core, the law is a great first step into transforming the largest (and one of the most inefficient) industry in our country.None of the exchange rollout issues take away from the fact that the law itself is the right thing to do to make sure people in this country have better and eventually more affordable access to healthcare. An ER is not and should not be treated as primary care. And folks without insurance are already being subsidized by the rest of us (hence a $50 Tylenol in a hospital), so why not have them get coverage in the first place?"

12/12/13Mandela

BY: Armstrong Williams

Thoughts on Mandela

Nelson Mandela is truly a remarkable example of putting aside bitterness and anger even if it was in order to effect a political end. In fact that is what makes him so special, that he had the discipline and moral fortitude to be able to realize the responsibility thrust on him as founding father of the nation upon his release to build a rainbow nation and succeed in bringing enemies together and form a nation of many peoples with one common goal, the well being of South Africa.

As Mr. Mandela is now being mourned by his native South Africa as well as the rest of the world, I cannot help but reflect on how much he genuinely meant to the world. He transcended race and progressed upon his own ability to move on. He truly was prophetic. On a personal level, one of my greatest keepsakes is a signed note of gratitude from both Mr. Mandela and Winnie that I keep framed on my office wall. That note was written on a page from my passport, the passport that acted as a shield from hate. It reminds me to never rent space in my heart or head to the hatred and bitterness. How fortunate I was to be there and live through that time, and to meet the man called Mandela was the experience of a lifetime.

12/09/13Immigration

BY: Armstrong Williams

Immigration

America's borders and immigration laws exist for two primary purposes- to protect innocent lives and protect the jobs of American workers.

Immigration is not a single issue but a singular issue that impacts virtually every challenge and threat confronting America and Americans today. National Security and public safety are undermined by failures to secure America's borders, enforce the immigration laws along its borders and from within the interior of the United States and create true integrity to the processes by which aliens are provided with visas and lawful status in the United States including those who are permitted to attend school, work on jobs for which they have been granted appropriate visas, be granted permission to remain permanently in the United States as refugees who are given political asylum, lawful immigrant status and United States citizenship. These failures also negatively impact America's economy- driving down wages increasing unemployment and underemployment. Other issues to be considered are the impact on education, healthcare, public health and the environment.

12/05/13Making money for a lifetime

BY: Armstrong Williams

Making money for a lifetime

To make money you must consistently create value. To consistently make your money for a lifetime you must be ethical, moral, legal and everyone around you must make more and more money.

A business that make nothing but money is a poor business.

All successful businesses must have a social agenda that empowers people, communities, and organizations. Please remember that Money is only a tool that will take you wherever you need to go, but can never everreplace you as the driving force. You are always the driving force of how far and deep your money can reach.

12/04/13Will real immigration reform ever happen ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Will real immigration reform ever happen ?

It is clear that the administration has absolutely no desire to stop the flood of illegal aliens from entering the United States. And even less desire to seek their removal. According to my sources, the US/Mexican border is witnessing at least a 50% increase in illegal aliens running the border as compared with last year. Additionally, it is estimated that 40% of the illegal aliens in the United States did not run the borders and evade the inspections process but were admitted into the United States under the lawful inspections process either with visas or under the aegis of the Visa Waiver Program.

Furthermore, promises of Comprehensive Immigration Reform by the president and by members of congress only serve to entice ever more aspiring illegal aliens from around the world to head for the United States, confident that if they can enter the United States they have nothing to fear.

Many illegal aliens are exploited- there is no argument about that. However, their home countries would want to send even more of their illegal aliens to the United States. They count on the remittances as a major source of income for the economies. Last year, in fact, it is estimated that more than $200 billion dollars was wired from the United States to the countries from which these foreign workers- both legal and illegal aliens came.

You may be surprised to know that according to the United Nations, India received the greatest amount of remittances from the First World, including the United States. it received more than $60 billion. China came in second and Mexico came in third.

12/03/13The wealthy are a minority

BY: Armstrong Williams

The wealthy are a minority

The wealthy are a true minority in the world and are often criticized and ridiculed for their success in spite of the fact that everyone, given the choice, would rather try it rich than continue being poor. I don't know where it originated, but the cliché "the poor get poorer and the rich get richer" has been in use for sometime, implying that the poor will never rise out of poverty. Is this true? Why do people stay mired in poverty while others can pass on generational wealth?

The first myth that keeps people poor—in my opinion—is the myth of easy money, or more appropriately, “get rich quick” (without effort). Lotteries, gambling, hot stock tips, music videos all fuel the myth that money comes easy. While it may be easy to make money, keeping it and building wealth is a whole different story. Industries are built around people's ignorance of building wealth. Like a miracle diet pill that lets you eat whatever you want without exercising, beware of wealth promised without effort. Why do people continue to go to these "quick fixes"? I believe one of the reasons is a victim mentality. In other words, there is a sense that wealth is something owed to them; that by their existence wealth and ease of living is guaranteed.

12/02/13Father's and Kids

BY: Armstrong Williams

Father's and Kids

My father taught me to rely on God and trust that He would protect me as I walked through the "shadow of the valley of death" or faced unexpected hardships in my life. And more than just teaching it, my father lived it. I saw him read the Bible daily, pray habitually, and attend and participate at church every Sunday. My father provided the spiritual leadership that the Bible calls for, and I believe this kind of leadership should ideally be handled by a man. Regardless of the religion, this cannot be done properly if the father is absent.

Kids can truly achieve so much more when their father is present and active in their everyday lives. Studies have repeatedly shown that a two-parent household with active parents is the key to a child's development. Certainly many, many children of one-parent households have gone on to great things, but they shouldn't have to. The idea that a father's presence is a luxury needs to change. Even if the parents divorce, a father should be present for every sporting event, every school activity, and all the ordinary moments that define a child's early life. Divorce or separation is no excuse for a father to stay away or reduce his involvement in the children's development. In fact, in the sad case of separation, a father should become more involved, because the children desperately need positive influences during divorce proceedings.

11/26/13Being thankful

BY: Armstrong Williams

Another day for thankfulness.

A friend of mine and I the other day were discussing the different seasons of life, and how times of difficulty can be, in the long run, beneficial. He told me that, despite being stuck in a job that he didn’t like, and struggling to make ends meet, he felt as though God wanted him to be there to meet certain people at the right times.

I was struck by what he said and I remembered a line of C.S. Lewis: “there are no ordinary people.” Everyone is unique, everyone is irreplaceable, and everyone is immortal. All of this other stuff—debating about our president every day, the votes, the money, the material realm—will be rolled up like a scroll on the Last Day, but people—whether it’s your father/mother or the man or woman in the vehicle, on the bus, airplane, or train next to you—will still exist.

All of you who contribute on this page are infinitely more important and more valuable than whatever perspective you bring to our daily debates, than your political party, than your income, than anything else. You are important, respected, and cherish by me not as a supporter or non supporter of my way of thinking, but as men and women, as a beloved child of God. Just know my appreciation and respect for you and how much I enjoy and learn from your daily postings. Thank you .

11/25/13Iran

BY: Armstrong Williams

Iran

Just trying my best to understand our President and the latest negotiations with Iran. Yes he is honoring his campaign promise as it relates to sitting down and talking with the Iranians. Maybe in the slightest of ways this could lead to an unprecedented break through given that Iran was once a great ally of our nation. However, we only have them in a freezing pattern and not asking them to give up or concede much in their march towards developing nuclear weapons. The Chinese already see this as an excuse to continue doing business as usual with the Iranians.

It is much worse than we know though. What is not being discussed is Iran's warhead and delivery program remains untouched. Despite Tehran's protestations that it has no intention of ever creating a nuclear weapon, Iran, in fact, has been developing a warhead for some fifteen years. That design is now near perfect and can move forward without a hitch, and all thanks to the Obama administration..

The nuclear option has destabilized relationships between bi-partisanship within the Senate and the comity that previously existed between the two for the last 100 years. Without getting into the technicality of Senate rules, a 60% vote is required to approve presidential nominations to the executive & judicial branches of the government. Under Harry Reid all that is now needed is a 51% majority vote. In the past the minority party has always had an opportunity to weigh in on the approval of nominees. This may have been difficult for the party in power to get its way with it's nominees but it probably has had a moderating influence on federal judges and senior-level executive branch appointees. Without such a moderating influence it is likely that the confirmation of judicial nominees will be more extreme and the conflict between the two parties will be more acrimonious as a result.

In the short run eliminating the super majority requirement for nominees will benefit the democrats. However when the GOP obtains a bare majority of the Senate and control of the White House it will ultimately benefit the Republicans.

Looking forward, the real danger is that the elimination of the super majority provision in the Senate has created a precedent to eliminate all super majority requirements in the Senate. This will certainly return and deliver a crucial blow to the Democratic Party once they have lost control as the majority of the Senate.

America's military has been decimated by the Obama administration for the last five years. This has gone almost undetected by the American people. Look at facts that have recently come to light. In the past year 9 flag officers, generals and admirals have been fired or encouraged to retire. This is by far the largest number of flag officers relieved from duty by any president in such as short period of time. Defense spending for our military has been cut radically in the last several years. The Navy is expected to operate in the future with half the number of ships it had several years ago. There has been a feminization of the military. The administration is using the military as a means to achieve social goals such as gender equality and gay pride. The military had a gay pride celebration last month in the name of political correctness. America had and has one of the strongest and most cohesive fighting forces in the history of the world. In the past five years there has been a determined and unrelenting effort by the administration to dismantle America's 9-11 force.

Last month our Military had it's first gay pride parade. It is because of this that I would like to propose an official day in America to celebrate Heterosexual Pride Day! Hey, while we're at it can we also have a White Pride Day or just celebrate White history month? Can the white people of Appalachia be allowed to celebrate redneck pride? Lastly, but not least can we have male liberation with Affirmative Action in colleges and Universities, equalizing the number of male college graduates; so they equal the number of female graduates.

11/19/13Healthcare is never a privilege

BY: Armstrong Williams

Healthcare is never a privilege

Let’s pretend the government does give you a new right, a right to health care. What will that mean in practice? That means that they will have to force someone to act against their will to provide for your care. The government cannot make new doctors appear out of thin air—in fact, Obamacare appears to be causing just the opposite effect—and it cannot make things cost less than they do. Price controls do not work: my saying that a Rolls Royce costs five dollars doesn’t make it so. The laws of supply and demand don’t need to play well in the swing states; they will rule whether we like it or not.

In other words, for every right you add, you take a right away. Obamacare shows us this already: adding a right to health care has already taken away the most basic First Amendmentright of Catholics to exercise their religion. A right to abortion handed down by a court takes away the citizens’ right to vote their conscience. Any new, or unnecessary right, always takes away an old necessary one. I wish it were not so. I wish that we could make everything good into a right, but we just can’t.

Healthcare cannot be a privilege either, if we look at the true definition of privilege. Privilege is a special favor granted by another entity, whether it is government, the private sector, or within a household. It is also not something that we only obtain from the government. Healthcare is a service that is provided through both public and private means. If we want to live out the liberties granted to us by our founders, we should reserve our right to purchase healthcare in the free market, allowing opportunities for those to purchase at affordable rates, not by allowing healthcare controlled by bureaucrats.

Of course there is, and can never be, a right to health care. But there is, and will always be, the duty for us to take care of our brothers and sisters.

11/18/13IN Need of Private Sector experience

BY: Armstrong Williams

IN need of Private Sector experience

In case you haven't heard former Obama Treasury secretary, Tmothy Geitner recently landed a plum job in private equity on Wall Street. Geitner has no experience in private equity . He does have a golden rolodex of contacts in the financial community with his experience as a former cabinet Secretary in the Obama administration. Private equity is well known for making its participants centi millionaires or billionaires. However most of its participants must go through years of experience in order to arrive there.

Geitner is not unique to the revolving door between government and especially the financial community private sector. His predecessor Larry Summers went to Citibank as did former Secretary of treasury Rubin.

Many high administration officials land in high powered, high paying lobbying law firms. The concern is not that former high ranking government employees seek high paying jobs. The issue lies in what unknown compromises were made by these former government officials to be hired in their now lucrative financial positions?

It is unfortunate that the flow of experience in the private sector executives does not work in the Obama administration. This administration as well as past administrations need executives from the private sector with private sector experience. All the one of his senior cabinet level positions is filled by an individual with meaningful private sector experience. Seventy five percent of our economy is based on the private sector . Given this dearth of private sector experience it is no wonder that President Obama and his administration don't have a grasp on how the private sector works. This is witness first hand by the tepid recovery from the great recession, the catastrophic rollout of Affordable Care, and the hubris to believe that government can solve all of our nation's problems.

Saying women must be responsible and aware in order to prevent getting into a bad situation is “mansplaining,” or “slut shaming,” or contributing to “rape culture.” No it is saying that you do not walk down a dark alley in a bad part of town drunk and alone.

Telling someone they are overweight and it is unhealthy, pointing out how a proper diet and exercise actually improves their mental disposition and looks is “fat shaming” and not accepting them for who they are. There are even court cases where clients sue their trainers for mental anguish because they tell them to stop eating junk food and keeping working out. Is everyone taking crazy pills?

There is a difference between bullying; being rude; calling someone on their bad behavior; and constructive criticism; but frankly, I do not think that the left and the culture they have helped to create sees the difference anymore.

People can declare that life should just be full of love and acceptance, but to do so is to delude oneself. Life is not rainbows and unicorns. It is a grind that takes perseverance and fortitude to come out ahead.

Denouncing opposing ideas and thoughts as bullying cheapens those that are truly bullied and oppressed. If we are ever to overcome the rancor that permeates our modern society, we must fight against the attempt to give into political correctness and cry “bully!” any time someone hurts our feelings. Sometimes we should simply grow thicker skin, but we also need to take a step back and examine our own behavior. Instead of hiding in an echo-chamber of affirmation, we should engage those with different thoughts and experiences to understand their point of view. If we step out of our own projections, we might just find that the person we thought was a bully, is actually a friend.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday and S.C WGCV 4-5pm.

One thing that continues to make America great is freedom of speech. Freedom is not free nor is it always popular. From an American perspective, this freedom is worth defending at all cost and has been by many Americans since the country was started. The undertone of many conservative writers (myself included) is that Christians in the USA don't have equal rights to practice their religion as Muslims do. And at worst, that somehow a Christian nation, the USA, is allowing itself to be subjected to Muslims having special rights over Christians. To the contrary, I would now say its less safe to be a Muslim in America since 9-11. This fear that hangs over moderate Muslims for their safety because of the extreme factions is not something that I'm happy about being an unapologetic God fearing man.

I'm the first to point out that American society isn't perfect and, in fact, one could argue its suffered an internal decay over the last 20 years. But neither have I seen a country or person on this earth that doesn't have warts of its own.

11/13/13Will King Obama come clean ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Will King Obama come clean

I am not sure our country can overcome the damage that King Obama has done to our once great nation. I know the King's sycophants will come to his rescue and condemn this morning pontificating by yours truly. However did the King flat out lie to you about to expect from Affordable Care? Did not the King's Champion Williams Jefferson Clinton implore his majesty to honor his word to the people regarding Affordable Care ? Will King Obama truly allow "we the people" to keep our Health care plan if this is what we prefer ? Will this White house find a solution that will halt the tripling of your premiums ? Believe it or not but I was truly praying that our President would succeed with Affordable Care and empower the people with more options. All of us regardless of our political leanings have given this King and his court the benefit of the doubt, time and time again. We can no longer ignore the facts that this white house has mislead, deceived, and made an embarrassing mockery of affordable care in our country. This is shameful and disheartening.

11/12/13Hate speech ?

BY: Armstrong Williams

Hate Speech

In America circa 2013, your own intentions do not matter if you express any idea that can be construed as “hate speech.” Intentions only matter when you enact the leftist idea of what is good even if it destroys people’s lives.

According to the American Bar Association, “hate speech” is speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits.

A noble gesture, but what happens when you call someone of a different race a jerk or more colorful explicative? If you are a white male, that is hate speech. If a black man says it to a black woman, that is sexual discrimination or harassment, another form of hate speech.

When it comes to policing language, it is the offendee’s subjective interpretation that matters, not the offender’s intent. In fact, the offendee’s prior actions are not even a consideration—the person may have just run over your pet, but your anger and mental anguish does not compare to the supposed psychological damage the offendee suffers when you express outrage at that person.

11/07/13Bullying

BY: Armstrong Williams

Bullying

Anyone can be bullied. Most often bullying isn't physical. It is intimidation in order to force action or words that don't truly represent the invididual being bullied. Political correctness is a form of bullying that is most prevalent in our society. Traditionally the only way to stop bullying is standing up to it. That may result in increased turmoil in the short run, but in the long run it has a dampening affect on the bullying. If one succumbs to bullying it only gets worse and never better.

11/06/13America is trapped

BY: Armstrong Williams

America is trapped

There were no election surprises yesterday with the exception that Virginia Governor's race was much closer than expected. Many are speculating that it was due to a referendum on the disgust and how many were mislead with the Affordable Care Act. The 2014 elections should be much more interesting and intriguing. Progressive Democrats are now in control of the twelve largest cities in America. The issues on controlling Federal spending will play out between now and 2014. America's strategy or lack thereof diplomatic/military will also play out in the Middle East. The economic recovery in America will more than likely continue it's struggle. There is nothing on the horizon showing an acceptable level of unemployment. Entitlement reform is not in our immediate future. There is no clear path to immigration reform.

Given the current state of American politics it is no wonder that a majority of Americans want to fire all politicians in Washington. America is trapped in a paralyzed political system. We need new leaders who can break the mold in an effort to solve many of our nation's simmering social, economic, and political challenges.

The worst part of affordable care is not people losing their insurance policies that they want to keep. The absence of young healthy Americans from the insurance pool will prove disastrous. These young people are not signing up. Without the excessively high premiums that these young people were expected to provide through their high premiums and low claim rates, there isn't enough money going into the insurance company to subsidize the low premiums charged to unhealthy older Americans. This will force the insurance companies to lose substantial dollars. In order for these insurance companies to regain profitability they must increase their premiums for Obamacare. This will further discourage young people from participating in the system and make it more expensive for older Americans. This is the death spiral of affordable care. The flawed structure of affordable care is arithmetically and actuarial unsound.

A longer term problem is the withdrawal of major hospitals and doctors from the affordable care participation. There are numerous hospitals and doctors who are not accepting the health care policies offered by the affordable care exchanges. The withdrawal of substantial medical resources will create suing problems that will adversely affect health care across America.

This only means America is moving towards a single payer system and ultimately socialized medicine.

"If you like your healthcare insurance you can keep it ". On Friday I received a letter from my Insurance company canceling my policy. Many thought they had a very good policy. Their premiums were reasonable and coverage adequate. Unfortunately Mr. Obama and the Democratic Congress of 2009 knew better than we did, what the right policies for many families should be. Many consider themselves a sophisticated individual when it involves making financial and healthcare decisions. Many are resenting that our president and his administration flat out lied to millions of Americans about their ability to keep healthcare insurance policies that many had and preferred under Obamacare.

To add insult to injury, many insurance brokers are now informing many that the cost of a new policy will be significantly more than the old policy. Affordable care is an outrage to those Americans who believed they should be responsible for their own healthcare decisions. Recall how the progressives in America want a single payer system. By screwing the current insurance based system they may get their wish. Unfortunately examples of single payer systems result into inferior healthcare.

Our country is wracked by one budget crisis after another. When the IRS permits an organization to enjoy 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, every American must pay the difference. Knowledgeable tax experts tell us that for every one million dollars in donations received by a 501(c)(3) charity, $440,000 of it is subsidized by US taxpayers. That is why we must ensure that taxpayer dollars going to activities in Israel are working to achieve peace and reconciliation—which remains an American priority in the Middle East.

Some of the biggest tax-exempt organizations operating in Israel are doing the opposite. Many of these organizations are devoted not to charitable works but to political turmoil and confrontation between Palestinians and Israelis. And this agitation is powered by US taxpayer money.

10/30/13Affordable Care redux

BY: Armstrong Williams

Affordable Care redux

The president committed a major tactical error in not compromising with the Republicans to extend Affordable Care for one year. It is unlikely that the affordable care web site will be operational in sufficient time for Americans to utilize it prior to January's deadline. Consequently many Americans will be subject to fines if the deadline isn't extended. It appears that the administration will extend the deadline to accommodate many Americans subject to fines and threatening the loss of their existing insurance coverage.

If the President had compromised he could have extracted a quid pro quo from the Republicans and it would not had shut down the government for three weeks. Instead the public will hear the GOP's new mantra "I told you so" and the administration will again appear foolish for shutting down the government on the presidents intransigent adherence to principle.

10/29/13Power in hands of too few

BY: Armstrong Williams

Power in hands of too few

Are the current economic problems we face due to liberal capitalism or self-interest regardless of someone's position in society ? If it is self interest, which is an ineradicable quality of human nature that exists in all countries around the world and at all levels of society, then we have to look at which economic system is best able to direct it into positive, virtuous channels. And I would submit that it is capitalism that guides self-interest with sound individual principles and allows us, as a society, to elevate.

Our current financial crisis has taught the world a lot about the way the economy and individuals can behave if they have little or no regard for their neighbors. It wasn't the masses that created this economic mess, but a select few. Thus, if I were to speculate as to what went wrong, I would argue that too much power was concentrated in the hands of too few. Over history this has long been a recipe for wars and other disasters. Our current crisis is no different. So, don't blame capitalism. Capitalism and its virtues will rescue our nation from the global quagmire, though it may take some time.

10/28/13Reclaming Fatherhood

BY: Armstrong Williams

Reclaiming Fatherhood

If the law made procreation a little more of a serious proposition for the American man, there might be more family planning, more birth control usage----in short, a much more serious approach to the decision to be intimate with women for the purpose of fathering children.

Such a law might also play a positive role in the lives of fathers who do want custody and who do want to remain a daily influence in the lives of their children. Our legal system simply makes it too hard for willing and capable---and even re-married---fathers to remain the primary care-takers of their kids.

There is also a troubling development in our culture, reflected in our school systems' emphasis of legitimizing single-parent homes through children's books and the like. Although these de-stigmatizing efforts are generally well-intentioned and help children feel better about having no father in their homes, they have the unintended consequences of trivializing the importance of two-parent households. In a sense, they glamorize single parenthood, or at the very least, desensitize us to its negative consequences.

10/25/13Spiritual Currency will save our nation

BY: Armstrong Williams

Spiritual Currency will save our nation

In America, Christianity was polluted and used by various groups to justify the enslavement of others. These so called Christians manipulated the Bible by trying to convince Blacks that they were the Sons of Ham, and therefore cursed by God to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. Jews, on the other hand, have firmly held that they were specifically chosen by God to rule the earth. On the other hand, the slaves’ deep spiritual well enabled them to endure some of the harshest conditions known to modern man – intergenerational slavery in a foreign land. The so-called Negro spirituals and the importance of the black church bear witness to this. Still, despite the passage of time and expansion of opportunity, blacks as a race still bear the spiritual wounds of their captivity.

American blacks and Jews have been blessed with abundant spiritual currency. When will many blacks in America finally realize their true purpose and destiny and stop being blood sucked by the Government and other entities. Many American blacks continue being brain wash into believing that they can't make it or contribute to this world without assistance from Uncle Sam or Liberals. When will they (as many American blacks have already) tap into their creative and entrepreneurial genius and truly rise up and return this nation to the foundation of family and moral striving. If America is going to have a spiritual revival in faith and economy, it is America's former slaves that must lead this revolution with the abundance of spiritual currency that they possess. Our nation is now at the precipice of chaos and our former slaves possess the hidden strengths to save her.

Even if you live in a broken neighborhood, there is no reason to sell drugs or commit other crimes. Black men are more likely to get caught trafficking narcotics, beginning the cycle of incarceration from which 70% do not escape. There are plenty of legal methods to earn money. Just because they are not as quick or easy does not make them less worthwhile. They will teach you patience, endurance, and the self-reliance- all necessary values to make it in the world. Most importantly, it will keep you free.

There will always be others out there trying to make excuses for you and pardon your bad behavior. Do not let them, especially when they try absolving you of something by citing your race or “the system.” Rebuke them, take responsibility, and learn from your mistakes.

Never let where you are from, nor where you are currently, hold you back. An absent parent or role model does not mean you cannot work hard in school, get a good job, nor be a good father or mother to your children.

If you are at the bottom of a pit, refusing to climb out is on you. You can ask for help from others in the pit, you can cry out to those already out, but only you can initiate the action to free yourself. And when you climb out, be sure to reach back and help those that helped you or are crawling out themselves.

10/23/13Soft Bigotry of low expectations

BY: Armstrong Williams

Soft Bigotry of low expectations

Some principles remain the same no matter what the circumstances.

And that principle is that every person is special and has God-given talents to achieve what they were created to achieve . . . the only limitation is their own will to do it. The messages often conveyed, that is unsettling on so many levels, is that not everyone can achieve or be successful and we shouldn't tell them they can. We often hear that there are only a few people who can achieve what Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Ben Carson, David Smith did.

That is not the point . . . it is not about the math of achievement, which ironically W.E.B. Debois suggested on several occasions. If we restrict our society to the concept of the "talented tenth" then we are saying that 90% of the population is irrelevant and already assigned to a life of servitude. It reminds me of the theory which often raises it's ugly head in this space, the "soft bigotry of low expectations."

10/22/13Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins

BY: Armstrong Williams

Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins

I respect Redskins owner Dan Snyder as a successful businessman and at the end of the day the team is his investment. It’s not our place to tell him how to run his business. He can call it whatever he pleases. If some people choose to be thin-skinned and take offense, then that is their problem. But somewhere along the way this issue regarding the Redskins also became about personal attacks and that is a far more serious problem than some sports team’s nickname. The Daily Caller website ran a recent story that purported to be about the leader of the campaign to change the mascot, but it amounted to little more than a smear against him. I have never met or even spoken with the Oneida Nation’s representative Ray Halbritter. But I’m willing to bet that the Daily Caller reporter didn’t either. Yet that did not stop them from publishing an “article” that relied on quotes from a detractor of Halbritter and “documents” that suggest he is not a legitimate member of the Indian tribe that he leads. In the interest of full disclosure, I wrote about the Oneidas several months back, when they expanded their growing enterprise with the opening of a new multimillion dollar restaurant and entertainment complex. I praised their business acumen as an example of the kind of entrepreneurship that this country needs more of. I happen to think that the Oneidas are wrong on this Redskins issue, and I disagree with them. Yet I respect their view and the fact that they believe what they are saying. Hopefully they can respect my perspective as well.

10/21/13Teachers unions

The teachers unions and their supporters frown upon the idea of the education system being run like a corporation. The problem is we have had it their way for almost forty years and test scores are flat. If what their protesting to keep has been so successful, why can’t we see the results? When Michelle Rhee was appointed chancellor in Washington DC, one of the first things she did was give a survey to all her teachers in order to gain their perspective on their performance. Over 90 percent of teachers in DC Public school’s said they were doing a great job, yet at the time, the scores were the worst in the country. What type of business would be successful if all its employees thought they were doing a great job, yet their company was shrinking every year? What kind of culture does that create in an organization and what type of environment does that foster? Mediocrity…

Individuals matter, success matters, and results matter. The unions have taken over our education system and redirected money towards administrative employees, and their own selfish interests, and at the same time guard the force of change needed to shake up the education system. Oddly enough we need to start thinking more like Europe, and realize that if public education was run more like a business, our kids would be better off.

Since I first came to Washington in the 1970’s, I have seen two trends happening in American culture that disturb me greatly: secularization and increasing dependence on the government. And they are not unrelated; on the contrary, secularization leads to increasing dependence on government, and increasing dependence on government leads to secularization. As Chesterton said, “when you abolish God, government becomes God.”

We should closely examine the orthodoxy of academia and the media of our time—precisely because the Left took over both industries for their importance—is culturally relativistic: no one is allowed to judge anyone’s culture, and all culture’s are equal.

No one believes this until they are taught it. Of course some cultures are better than others. Not only is it acceptable for us to proclaim that, but it is our duty: the culture of life is superior to the culture of death, the culture of family is superior to the culture of selfishness, the culture of entrepreneurship is superior to the culture of dependency.

I am shocked and disappointed that some parents and politicians believe that cell phones as safety devices are a worthy tradeoff for disruptions at school. That philosophy is comparable to claiming that weapons should be allowed in school to prevent after school attacks. Frankly, it just doesn’t make sense. Students survived for hundreds of years without cell phones and they don’t need them now. If parents are seriously worried about the safety of their children, they can take other steps to ensure their safety. A cell phone is not the answer.

Public schools have become war zones with teachers and administrators acting as the unequipped arbitrators. Cell phones are a big reason these behavior problems are occurring in schools everywhere around the country. Students are inciting violence by calling gangs and older kids anytime an argument occurs, running away from teachers who see them talking on the phone, and turning their cell phone ring tones to a pitch that adults cannot notice because of hearing deficiencies. Students are downloading inappropriate movies and images and sharing them between friends which disrupts class and can lead to sexual harassment situations. Students are using cell phones to cheat by either taking pictures of their answer sheet, sending the image to other fellow students or even by text-messaging the answers. They also use cell phones to coordinate drug deals and to call into schools where they fake absences by pretending to be their parents or other false identities. Besides distracting the cell phone users, other students are unable to focus because of cell phone disruptions.

10/16/13Spending addiction

BY: Armstrong Williams

It is usual for conservatives to point to the social issues as having spiritual import, as having spiritual causes, and moral effects. But we often completely ignore the spiritual elements of our spending addiction.

In fact, the only thing that can remotely compare to the phenomenon of abortion—in which a person is so depraved that, rather than abstaining for sex, they must kill another human—is this spending addiction. We are so lustful after our spending that we are killing our children, and our children’s children. Money that is borrowed is ultimately borrowed from them, and our dessert today is really a dinner taken from them.

Conservatives have written very many good books about how the welfare state softens the soul, and weakens the will of a people. But it takes a very soft soul, and a very weak will, to get a welfare state in the first place.Plato wondered inconclusively if there was not some analogy between a soul and a state: can a well-ordered soul be likened to a well-ordered state? He spent hundreds of pages inquiring into the ideal state, in order to seek the ideal soul.

10/11/13Serious Budget reduction

BY: Armstrong Williams

Serious Budget Reduction

The ongoing debate for a serious budget reduction in the future does notwork without a big initial down payment in spending cuts. Today'sCongress cannot bind future congresses, and Congress has beennotoriously unreliable with respect to the fiscal management of thecountry's finances. Only a naive observer of America's today'spolitical environment could believe that congress will constrainspending to bring the deficit under control when the economy improves. The only point that the left may have is that fiscal stimulus may have asmall temporary benefit when the money is originally spent, but theextent of the benefit depends on how the money is spent, e.g.infrastructure, tax rebates, government program, etc., and technicalarguments about the multiplier effect of the spending. However, it has anegative impact when it is finally paid for.

Obamacare shows us that adding a right to health care has already taken away the most basic First Amendmentright of Catholics to exercise their religion. A right to abortion handed down by a court takes away the citizens’ right to vote their conscience. Any new, or unnecessary right, always takes away an old necessary one. I wish it were not so. I wish that we could make everything good into a right, but we just can’t.

Healthcare cannot be a privilege either, if we look at the true definition of privilege. Privilege is a special favor granted by another entity, whether it is government, the private sector, or within a household. It is also not something that we only obtain from the government. Healthcare is a service that is provided through both public and private means. If we want to live out the liberties granted to us by our founders, we should reserve our right to purchase healthcare in the free market, allowing opportunities for those to purchase at affordable rates, not by allowing healthcare controlled by bureaucrats.

Of course there is, and can never be, a right to health care. But there is, and will always be, the duty for us to take care of our brothers and sisters.

10/07/13Affordable Care consequences

BY: Armstrong Williams

Affordable Care consequences

Businesses currently employing more than 50 uninsured employees will see their per employee costs increase $5,000 to $10,000. A business with 51 employees could have an insurance bill of $500,000! For all but the largest corporation, it will be cheaper and make more financial sense to pay the fine and not insure any of its employees.

Whether they offer insurance or pay the fine, the higher balance will be financed out of profits, necessitating higher prices to customers or a reduction in employment. If it comes out of profits, there is less money for the business owner to invest in business expansion assuming he has the profitability to pay the additional costs. Higher prices to consumers result in less money spent on other goods. Reduction in employment means higher unemployment. None of this is good for an anemic economy that can barely grow 2% annually after the 2008 recession.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday and S.C WGCV 4-5pm.

Thus far the government shutdown is a non-event. Other than the 800,000 government employees who have been furloughed, most Americans have not been affected directly or indirectly.

Many beltway insiders are embarrassed that our government is shutdown. However, those of us outside the Beltway could not care less and would, in fact, be happy if the shutdown (or more properly speaking the slim down) were a permanent condition. This shutdown shows that many of the 800,000 federal government employees are superfluous.

Furthermore, federal employees complaining about missing a week or so of pay is nothing compared to the 14% of Americans that are unemployed (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ U-6 figures), or the nearly 52% of Americans relying on part time jobs to make ends meet. Federal workers are nigh impossible to fire and retain full health coverage while furloughed, something the vast majority of Americans cannot claim.

Those insiders who are embarrassed are obviously lovers of big government who enjoy spending other people’s money. However, speaking as a taxpayer, I would rather see unnecessary employees laid off and our government restructured to operate with fewer employees. That would certainly save taxpayers money, help to balance the budget, and reduce the deficit.

Most of the posturing among the politicians is theater. It is unlikely that the Republicans will be able to delay Affordable Care Act or extract major concessions from our uncompromising president. This should not matter because Obamacare has the likely potential to collapse under its own weight. Cynical Republicans could argue that they should not defund the act, but rather wait for it to self-destruct.

But there is an unintended benefit of the shutdown. It further proves, along with sequestration, that America can get along with fewer government employees. And this revelation comes despite the fact that the administration has implicitly stated its intention to make the sequestration, cuts, and shutdown as visible harmful as possible rather than making smart, targeted cutbacks.

If the furloughed employees were put to work in the efficient private sector, imagine how much richer America would be!

My close Jewish friend from Dallas called this week in a frantic. He was at a party thispast weekend and several highly educatedand accomplish African Americans where at the party, one was a famous doctor and another a lawyer. They greeted each other with "What's up N-gg-r". He and his friends were offended and outraged. My friend of many years believes this is a social problem that run deep. He sincerely wanted to know how such professionals could be so comfortable with that language in the presence of complete strangers and other highly accomplish people.

He has since spoken to several of his African American friends and asked them the same thing and 95% were in shock but a few said, it’s the way it is…..he wanted my take.

What continues to impact him is that he so desperately wanted to say something to these individuals at this party, but thought it was out of his place, but nonetheless have been bothered by it all week.

What advice should I convey to my friend of 15 years ?

10/02/13The Limits of Democracy

The limits of Democracy

BY: Armstrong Williams

Democracy is uncritically assumed to be as the best form of government by the academic and political elites. Indeed, these elites believe democracy is the only legitimate form of government. Winston Churchill, a practical politician understanding the limits of Democracy, expressed his reluctant acceptance of Democracy as the best form of government in the negative. “Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried...”

While there is intellectual discourse by these elites about the limitations of democracy, there is almost no acknowledgement of the legitimacy of other forms of government. Certainly a discussion about the legitimacy of overthrowing a democratically elected government is anathema to these elites. Only communists, anarchists, hard core socialists and radical Islamic fundamentalists have serious, though discredited, dialogue about the legitimacy of violent over throw of democratically elected governments. As a result, the kneejerk response of Americans and other westerners to the failures of an elected government is to let the problems be decided in the next election. This is certainly the response to the ouster of the democratically elected PresidentMohammed Morsi and the Egyptian Brotherhood by the Egyptian military. However, a review of the history of failed democratically elected governments shows that this is not always the best response.

In order for democracy to function well, a society needs a culture that implicitly respects the values and rights of political minorities. The protection of these rights needs to be enshrined in an enforceable legal structure. In addition there must be enforceable checks and balances of those in positions of authority, including the ability to remove failed or corrupt officials, even if they were legitimately elected.

09/30/13Government shutdown

BY: Armstrong Williams

Government shutdown

There is a simple solution to a government shutdown, Democrats should accept the funding for non Obamacare spending subject to a hiatus in the implementation of Obamacare which is negotiated up front. Whether this hiatus should be a year or some lesser period would be subject to negotiations. The Democrats don't lose anything by postponing the beginning of Obamacare on tomorrow. The system is clearly not prepared. Any business man with experience in providing service to customers knows you do not begin providing your service until you're absolutely prepared and ready. Otherwise you run the risk of disappointing your customers. Once you disappoint your customers it is difficult to regain their confidence. If government implements Obamacare before it is ready, it will almost certainly disappoint the large number of voters. In the long term this is not good for the Democratic party or Obama care.

Government shutdown may be the same non event for most Americans as the sequester reduction in government services was. President Obama predicted gloom and doom when the sequester of governments funds were implemented, which reduced government spending on services. It was suppose to reduce services and slow growth in the economy. Instead nobody missed the reduce services and the economic growth improved. While the shutdown of the government will almost certainly affect more services than the sequester, it will not affect the daily lives of most Americans. It will have the additional benefit of Americans realizing how little we need government. Once we face this realization the government can finally save money by reducing spending. This is exactly what American need to do to save ourselves from bankruptcy.

Public education teaching does not pay the greatest, you tend to get teachers of lower quality coming out of inferior schools. Honestly, why would you want to pay more money for schooling, earn less, and put up with all the garbage that teachers have to these days if you had the possibility to make big bucks as a computer programmer, lawyer, doctor, or venture capitalist?

That is not to say there are not plenty of smart, qualified, and exceptional teachers; but there is no denying the brain drain in education can be directly correlation to higher earning potential in other fields.

Qualifier aside, the result of such inadequately prepared educators is that the smart kids tend to go unchallenged and get bored, in turn they become a disruption and many are inadvertently tossed into the dustbin of “what might have been.”

So the generalist enters the unruly classroom focused on trying to maintain order and insuring the dumber and less motivated kids are catered to over the ones with true potential. The teaching itself has now become geared toward learning how to answer standardized test questions over developing the children’s understanding of the how and why.

Surely good laws and regulations are essential in ensuring orderly societal direction and providing for the public good. A just, sound legal system can, in many ways, foster entrepreneurship and international trade. And by protecting the rights of minorities, they exemplify the best that Western Civilization has to offer.One idea for simplification would be to abolish progressive taxation and institute a single, flat tax on all personal and business income. The Bible teaches us to tithe ten percent of our income. It does not ask one person to tithe more of their income if they are rich and less of their income if they are poor. By tithing ten percent, each pays to the common trust an equal proportion of their means. This practice alone would virtually eliminate the need for the army of accountants, tax lawyers and government agencies dedicated to enforcing and mitigating the laws of this country. But more importantly, it’s what the founders envisioned – a tax levied based on the population, and not ability to pay. Perhaps they saw the inherent political danger in allowing politicians to vary this or that constituency’s tax burden, which would be an invitation to the very kind of class warfare we’re engaged in today. Imagine a nation in which all are in – everyone pays the same amount to the government. What would such a nation look like?

09/25/13Guns and our President

BY: Armstrong Williams

Guns and our President

The President has derided American exceptional ism throughout his—I admit—very brief political career. In his recent speech before the Congressional Black Caucus he continues his agenda to limit our rights to bear arms. If the president thinks eliminating guns with stop the massive killings in his home town of Chicago, he's seriously delusional. Yes Mr. President, disarm all the innocent law abiding Americans so the criminals and their ilk will continue killing people without any thought.

The relativism of his position notwithstanding, he fails to understand what makes us exceptional. America has been different for decades: unlike the rest of the developed world, we had freedom, we were a religious people, we were a hard-working people. No government dared to disarm us. But now we are freely casting away those freedoms that made us different, better than other merely developed nations. The President’s skepticism about American exceptionalism is self-fulfilling it’s the President who is skeptical about it.

He plunders our wealth; he wants us disarmed. He takes away our right to practice our religion. This is madness, and it must stop. And so it is very bittersweet for me to watch our leader who once had such promise and hope for All Americans and the world. What I love about this country—tolerance—but what he has pledged to do to our country is take away so much that makes us great.

The ongoing takeover of a shopping mall in Nairobi Kenya by Islamist terrorists is the epitome of inhumane behavior. Approximately 60 people were killed and 200 injured by these criminals. It is necessary for the non- Islamic world to reject PC rhetoric and declare a war on these uncivilized savages. The Taliban in Pakistan bombed a church and killed 60 Christians recently. Some Moslems are not exempt from this brazen savagery. An Al-Qaeda affiliate allied with the Western back Syrian rebels turned on their allies by targeting their troops and taking over their territory. This savagery has been ongoing for the past 20 years and the West continues to make excuses. The United States and the rest of civilized world must declare war to wipe out these murderers. The time of equivocating and placating has past. They brought the fight to America with the first bombing of the world trade center in the 1990's and accelerated it with 9-11. It is payback time.

It would be better for Congress to move the country to a balanced budget than to shut the government down by refusing to raise the debt ceiling. Shutting down the government through the debt ceiling may cut spending, for instance by eliminating funding for air traffic control, but it’s a blunderbuss rather than a knife. Rather than lopping off what we don’t need, it will put holes in everything. It is better to have a well thought out balanced budget that cuts out unnecessary spending, restrains entitlement, and promotes government efficiency.

House Speaker John Boehner has suggested that raising the debt ceiling be tied to spending cuts over the next ten years, the proposal that Obama has rejected. A better option might be to tie it to a change in the federal budget baseline.

Under the Deficit Control Act of 1985, better known as “Graham-Rudman-Hollings” or “Graham-Rudman,” the budget baseline was set at the previous year’s budget, without any adjustments for inflation. In 1997 the act was amended to include not only inflation adjustments, but an additional 3 percent. This has allowed fiscal liberals to accuse fiscal conservatives of cutting the budget even when they allow it to grow faster than the pace of inflation.

A return to the original Graham-Rudman baseline calculation would do more to bring the federal budget under control than the sequester, another element of Graham-Rudman. The sequester has slowed the rate of budget growth, but by less than would a return to the Graham-Rudman baseline.

09/20/13Karl Rove

BY: Armstrong Williams

Karl Rove

Karl Rove has all of a sudden become very negative towards very important conservative issues. In his recent Wall Street Journal article Rove criticized tactics of conservative Republicans trying to defund Obamacare. The repeal of Obamacare is a core Republican issue. Mr. Rove is a very smart and capable Republican tactician. Unfortunately his article criticize the tactics of the GOP in Congress attempting to defund Obamacare for it would shut down our Federal Government.

His principle concern was the impact it might have on the 2014 election. This is a legitimate concern. However, for the Republican party to be relevant in America it must stand for issues which distinquishes it from the Democratic party. Looking at the 2014 election is short sighted. The Republican party must sell its ideas to the American public, especially young people and minorities.

Rove's article would have been more effective had it focus on alternative ways to defund Obamacare. Sadly if Republicans wait beyond the 2014 elections to stop Obamacare it may be too late. History has shown that once American's receive an entitlement they rarely give it up. Obamacare is an entitlement that will eventually bankrupt America and limit their freedom to determine their own medical care.

We don't need more Big Brother, but we do need the government to do its job and properly vet those who are going to be in sensitive positions, like Alexis, or Snowden, or Manning. Each case had glaring red flags, and each time government napped.

In the end, what we have is a horrific phenomenon that has no easy answers. By now, the media should know better than to jump to conclusions and report fallacies. Also, pundits and politicians must stop trying to blame pop culture, weapons and ideologies that are not part of the causation. Instead, we need to start taking mental illness seriously, enforce laws we already have, and demand more accountability from our government and officials whose job it is to treat, protect, and/or investigate. This, unfortunately, will not be the last mass shooting, but we must work harder to prevent such tragedies before they occur.

Why do so many innocent people die violent deaths because of individuals that are mad at their employers and the world? They are twisted and obviously sick in many ways and decide to make everyday people pay the ultimate price of death for their misguided anger ? There is nothing in God's name we can do to stop these deranged people who are hell bent on reigning terror on the world because they feel slighted or disrespected.

The best we can do is always be nice to strangers, co-workers, for we never know the anger that's boiling inside and where they will unleash it. We must return to kindness, a smile, taking time to talk to individuals that are obviously in pain and suffering. We may never know how a little warmth and sacrifice from individuals have led to mankind abandoning violent thoughts and actions. We ultimately and not law enforcement have a greater role to play in minimizing that damage and unnecessary deaths that continue to plague our nation, because of individuals that feel isolated and alone. Let us all do a better job of observing and communicating with those that we sense are in despair and just need a little of our precious time, love and attention. Make someone smile and laugh today and you will never know the impact it can have on the innocent in our still great nation.

Vladimir Putin in a recent NY Times op-ed is clear that he is no fan of the idea of American exceptionalism. He further writes that God isn't either.

"It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation." "There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too," he wrote. "We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord's blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal."

American exceptionalism has nothing to do with forcing America’s political and economic system on other nations and societies. Our exceptionalism is about America’s ability to maintain a prosperous society in a Democratic political system that maintains individual liberty and freedom.

The issue of America Military exploits is not part of our exceptionalism. As a matter of history there is a strong streak of isolationism in America. Unfortunately in the globalization of the world, isolationism is no longer practical.

Since World War II, as the world's dominant super power the United States has been involved in a number of military conflicts in order to protect its strategic interest and those of its allies. These conflicts have rarely been about promoting Americas ideals of liberal democracy. They have usually been in defense of America’s strategic interest.

The situation in Syria has no clearly defined strategic interest for America. Do we really care whether Assad or the al-Qaeda infiltrated rebels win their civil war? Putin in his recent NY Times article about American Excepionalism is correct. The civil war has nothing to do with Democracy. It's about which group is going to have authoritarian control over Syria. Neither of these groups will have friendly relations with the United States. In fact it's a matter of time before they engage in war like tactics with us.

09/12/13We are not created equal

BY: Armstrong Williams

We are not created equal

One of the founding principles of our great republic is stated in the first line, second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . . ” The idea of equality governs our interactions and expectations.

The simple truth of the matter is that all men (or women) are not created equal.

Because we are not all equivalent, there are certain facts that are unavoidable.

1) Some people are born with innate talents.

2) Some people are smarter than others.

3) Some people are born with more opportunities.

4) Some people have a greater drive to succeed.

However, we as humans living in America can overcome one of these inequities and not let the others limit ourselves.

09/10/13Democracy still works for "we the people"

BY: Armstrong Williams

Democracy still works for "we the people"

The American people put the president in a corner where he had no wiggle room on Syria. Democracy still works for "we the people". Congress and the people of our nation kept the president from making an imprudent military operation in the middle east. Even Obama's allies in the main stream media could not save the president on this issue. Obama's credibility on the world's stage has been irreparably damaged by his thoughtless attempt to bring America into war. The coalitions to stop Obama's recklessness included a coalition consisting of the Left, the Right, and the Center. This is one of the few political issues in the last 5 years in which all Americans were united . Unfortunately we were united to keep our president from embarking on a dangerous mission.

It takes a truly foolish move by an American President to make Vladimir Putin look like a moderate. Putin has consistently out maneuvered Obama at every turn. It started with the withdrawal of the American Missile defense systems in Eastern Europe and ended with the Syrian affair.

Why are values and principles important when deciding to engage in conflict or war ? There is a conflict of visions and values between Syria and many countries in the Middle East. Their values are not our values. Our primary value is celebrating human life and creating an environment for an explosion of the human potential. Clearly Assad priority is different. Anyone who can kill their own can kill anyone else if allowed. The challenge of the conflict between the values of Syria and our nation and most of the free world, is that we must agree and understand what is the desired end for both sides. You don't go into a war without exploring all options. Options may be a limited strike but you can't conclude that until you understand the dynamics of the battle and agree on what the options are. What are the options Mr. President. If America and the other G-20 countries can't afford to police country's ripped up by civil war, what is the alternative for containing mass genocide in societies where conflict rage. As we approach September 11, it is a reminder that the difference in values between some in the Middle East and ours should be a reminder that engenders a commitment to do all that we can to strengthen our local and global economies. Egypt and Syria should remind us of the consequences of a culture of illiteracy.

Effective communication is when the intended message is understood by the intended listener. When literacy and illiteracy communicate, comprehension is difficult and sometimes almost impossible. The limited strike may be the answer, however we may never know this until we hear and see the options.

A colleague shared recently how they wanted to move two pilings from one side of their dock to the other. In order to do this they needed approvals from four government agencies including the US core of Engineers and the Florida environmental department. The cost of getting the approvals was twice the cost of moving the pilings. In the renovation of my friend's home the contractor needed to set aside 30 days for inspections by the building departments on a six month project. My colleague in now trying to calculate whether they should take Social Security at age 66 or wait until he is 70. They are also navigating their way through medicare regulations now that he's approaching 65. His business still can't figure out whether his current insurance policies meet the Obama care requirements. When my friend was in Hong Kong recently his Hong Kong bank told him that they may need to cancel the loan to his Hong Kong Company. Their reasoning was that Dodd-Frank created regulations on foreign banks that have relationships with American Citizens. Because of these regulations his foreign Hong Kong bank was deciding whether it wanted to business at all with American citizens, because of the burdens imposed on foreign banks.

My colleagues son bought a new car recently and discovered that he could not bring his toddler home in the new car because he didn't have a regulation car seat coming out of the dealer.

I am sure by now you have the same frustrations that my friend has when you deal with the DMV. His wife goes crazy when she goes to the Doctor and tries to figure out whether her insurance is covering the recommended procedure . Even their dogs require a license that must be renewed bi-annually.

Is all this regulation really necessary ? Can you do a renovation without the government telling you how to do it? Can you go to the doctor without insurance company's deciding what is a reimbursable procedure ? Do you really need a license for your dog ?

Syria is only a prelude for us going to war with Iran. Why else would the President, Boehner, Pelosi, and Cantor all agree . Many of the Hawks within the GOP have wanted to take on Iran and now the President has colluded with them for the perfect storm. This is meant to and will without a doubt spill over into Iran. We have been at war with the greater population and the middle east for quite sometime. Who are we striking in Syria Mr. President and your GOP leadership in tow that are playing you for their own military industrial complex agenda. Don't be fooled by the uniting of our President and the GOP leadership on declaring military action against Syria. You need not wonder anymore why the President decided to ask for Congress permission, for he already had it.

Prime Minister David Cameron ask for the British parliament to support this ill conceived strike in Syria. AND THEY ANSWERED NO! However the British parliamentary vote was a non binding resolution, meaning the Prime Minister was not required to follow their lead. But in his wisdom he chose to acquiesce to the wishes of his people.

Mr. President you should do the same, we the people are not supportive of striking Syria.

I am still gravely concerned about Syria. This is an armed conflict in which there is no end game, and no clear benefits to our nation. While Assad is clearly not a friend of the USA the rebels trying to overthrow him include AlQaeda affiliates.

From a tactical point of view Americas closest ally the United Kingdom has wisely decided not to participate. The Obama administration has not set out a clear strategy for our role in this conflict. For example is the objective to get rid of Assad; install a new regime; or merely to keep Assad from gassing fellow Syrians? This conflict also has the potential to spin way of out of our control. What happens if Syria attacks Israel in retaliation to an American strike? Will Russia intervene on behalf of its ally Assad? Will Iran decide that this is the occasion to experiment with one of its nuclear devices ? What is the upside to this conflict for the United States. Maybe there is a convincing argument to be made on why we should strike Syria. However we are yet to hear the President or anyone make this case.

President Obama learned nothing from the war failures of Bush. In fact, he continues to make the same mistakes and worse under the cover of a sympathetic media and myrmidonic democrat electorate.

We absolutely should not directly intervene in Syria. There are two reasons why: 1- the entire situation was brought on by reckless ad-libbing policy to the media. 2- we have no end-state objective.

Obama has only himself to blame for putting himself in this position. Back in May, the president declared a "red line" that cannot be crossed. That red line was the use of chemical weapons by Assad.

Last week, it was discovered that chemical weapons had, in fact, been used during fighting in Damascus. Whether or not Assad's forces, or the Syrian rebels, or even a rogue element deployed them is not being asked in the West. Assad has already been found guilty so no investigation is necessary.

08/28/1350 Years Later

BY: Armstrong Williams

50 years later

The Many thousands of people that will March this day to commemorate MLK's I Have A Dream Speech, will hope to find real and concrete solutions to finally change the devastating challenges that continue to plague much of the black community. They need to see real progress. All Americans desperately want to see people rise above the alarming statistics of crime, out of wedlock births, education deficiency and the breakdown of the family. The old answers of government planning and welfare are not good enough. These communities deserve real solutions. The failures of safety nets do not justify more and more safety nets. To truly begin the process of empowering the black community, ownership is the foundation of it all. Without the foundation of ownership we can't grow and sustain family, business, and investments which are the foundations of ownership.

Ownership is the effective structure of our personal, family, corporate, community, and national responsibilities. Governance begins with self governance, owning our responsibilities. When the human potential arrives, ownership should arrive. Ownership doesn't begin with investments it eventually become your investment. When we manage our collective responsibilities we are empowered to innovate and sustain our investments in all areas of life.

Not long ago I watcheded a high school basketball game between local DC rivals. I was absolutely amazed at the level of intensity in which these young men played. Both teams, made up of all young black males, possessed a strong desire to win and the level at which they competed demonstrated that it was this desire to be victorious that pushed them all to respect and learn the game. Both teams ran complicated plays, perfectly executed the directions of the coach and never seemed to tire. When one of the young men made a bad decision, he was immediately admonished by the coach who exclaimed: "you are better than that!" Nodding his head, as if to show he agreed with the coach's statement, the young man refocused and played flawless basketball for the rest of the game.

I left this game not only impressed, but full of hope. Here were 24 young black men competing at an incredibly high level; a group that is often stigmatized as being lazy, unmanageable, slow learners and undisciplined. Many people wonder how a group that has so many problems succeeding in the classroom could excel at a sport that requires one to use the same qualities possessed by a great student. The answer is simply: expectations. Black men are expected to be exceptional athletes. Such expectations push them at a very early age to cultivate and perfect their skills on the field or court. In the eyes of many it's almost a sin for a young black man to be a poor athlete. He would face belittlement not only from his peers but society as whole.

Now, for sure, some racist claim that Blacks are simply born with the natural ability to become exceptional athletes, however, such an argument has no merit. While it may be true that on the average black men are physically larger than other races, size and strength play only a minimal role in determining one's success as an athlete. To compete at the highest level of any sport takes a tremendous amount of discipline since the athlete must devote energy and time to perfecting such skills as dribbling or passing. In addition, success hinges greatly on the athlete's intelligence. He must not only commit large amounts of information to memory but must also be able to adapt to the play of his opponent. If the athlete is unable to think analytically, his jumping abilities and speed will prove useless as he will simply be outsmarted by his opponent. The fact of the matter is young black men excel at sports because they work at it, and they work at it because they know that it will be held to higher standard than all others. The coach who reassured his young player that he could play better did not really have to say anything at all; he already knew he was better, not out of any sense of false pride, but from understanding that he had adequately prepared himself to excel in such an atmosphere.

There should be no doubt in your mind as to whether many of the underachieving minorities in today's educational system, can't achieve and excel at the same educational level . What it takes to become an elite athlete in the world of sports, is no different than what is recquired in the world of academics.

08/15/13Our young black brothers

BY: Armstrong Williams

Our Young Black Brothers

Many Young black men who are academically challenged must be compelled to compete in the classroom, if they are ever to achieve success in life. However, the only way public schools will be compelled to lift black men from the depths of academic despair is if they themselves are forced to compete with private schools. This can be achieved with school vouchers which would allow parents to put their children in schools that will hold them to higher standards in the classroom. Such policy has not taken off because teachers unions vehemently oppose vouchers. They recognize that vouchers would mean fewer teachers, fewer membership dues, the likely defections by public school personnel to privatized systems that have traditionally resisted centralized unionization, and the birth of competing collective bargaining entities. For the teachers' unions, the idea of competition can only mean giving up leverage. Nevertheless, if faced with such competition, public schools would be forced to push their young black men to succeed in the classroom, just as they push them on the basketball court.

08/14/13Teaching is not what it once was.

BY: Armstrong Williams

Teaching isn't what it once was..

Public education teaching does not pay the greatest, you tend to get teachers of lower quality coming out of inferior schools. Honestly, why would you want to pay more money for schooling, earn less, and put up with all the garbage that teachers have to these days if you had the possibility to make big bucks as a computer programmer, lawyer, doctor, or venture capitalist?

That is not to say there are not plenty of smart, qualified, and exceptional teachers; but there is no denying the brain drain in education can be directly correlation to higher earning potential in other fields.

08/13/13Detroit's Demise

Detroit's Demise

BY: Armstrong Williams

Every pundit worth their salt has addressed Detroit over the past few weeks. On the Right you hear it is because of Democrat rule that lead to an untenable debt, mainly due to the pensions owed ($9 billion of the $11 billion debt). And they are 100% correct.

The left says, “It’s just one of those things that happens.” That was the actual profound analysis offered by the darling Heart of Liberalism Paul Krugman. It gives the powers that be cover to formerly remark, “Oops, my bad. Mulligan?”

There are no mulligans here. The government of Detroit screwed up over and over and over again. In 60 years the heart of America was destroyed, and all that the party that brought this demise about has to say is, “Sorry about that. Not our fault; stuff happens, ya know? We’ll do better next time and it won’t happen again.”

The cognitive dissonance is staggering.

08/12/13Working on Capitol Hill is often a misguided illusion

BY: Armstrong Williams

Working on capitol Hill is often a misguided illusion

For any standard job in the private sector or even in government, the vast majority of the time you go into work knowing what to expect, and what the overall outcome is going to be. Anyone who has worked on Capitol Hill faces exactly the opposite, in that the outcome of the day is never assured, and you are working for a broader cause then just your own financial interest. Most people get to stay in their office at least eight hours, whereas when If you interned on the hill during the debt negotiations, staffers literally brought sleeping bags into the office because they were going to work all through the night and next morning. Politics is different than normal work in this regard, and this thrill of not knowing what to expect, and working for an individual you believe in is very attractive to college graduates and young adults, but it’s not always the best road for everyone. This town and many universities almost encourage people to go down that road en mass, and it creates a huge problem: an age group that’s emotionally lost in a big city, constantly wondering about a future trade.

How many Freshmen Senator's come to Washington acting like a Maverick.. What happens when you take a John McCain and merge him with A Dick Cheney in the United States Senate? You get a conservative firebrand maverick . Many would say that is today's Ted Cruz--a maverick in the U.S Senate out of Texas. The only problem is, Ted Cruz is a political newbie; running around the hallowed halls of the Senate as if he were just given the keys to a new Ferrari on Spring break. His brand of politics doesn't suit the Senate. It lacks the comity of a Legislative body that first and foremost relies on deliberation.

Listen you can't discount the fact that a majority of Texans elected him into the United States Senate. I am not convinced they fully realize what exactly they were voting for.

The sale of the Washington Post has many implications. It is more obvious than ever now that Daily print newspaper business is a broken model. The sale of the Washington Post and the Boston Globe within a week (with a loss to the NY times corporation of approximately one billion dollars) is proof positive that the newspaper business has changed forever .

The Graham philosophy was that the Post would never be a national newspaper. They wanted to service Washington DC primarily and speak to the Power of the U.S. government. The Washington Post has made and destroyed President's, Heads of State, and Government's throughout it's illustrious history.

The Washington Post is a global brand which is why Jeff Bezos paid $250 million dollars to have the ability to speak to power daily. Not withstanding the Post losses over the last year of over a $100 million dollars , Bezos with a net worth of over $20 billion dollars and innovative marketing skills recognizes there is intrinsic value in the Post brand.

08/05/13The Credit Divide

The Credit Divide

BY: Armstrong Williams

The issue of making consumer loans to people on the wrong side of the credit divide raises other issues that make lending to this group very expensive.

Despite a mid-July report by the S&P that says consumer credit default rates have decreased for the sixth consecutive month, the default rates among different demographics show a sharp divide.

First, default rates among the poor are much higher than among the rich. Therefore, everything else being equal, loans to the poor will reflect premium pricing to cover the higher default risks. Second, because these are riskier loans, the banks will be forced to have higher capital requirements to support these loans, leading to higher capital costs. Third, because these loans are smaller than similar loans to the wealthy, the expense of issuing and servicing the loans must be amortized over a smaller loan principal. This also makes a loan relatively more expensive to the poor. Fourth, loans to consumers tend to be subject to much more government consumer and banking regulations than loans to businesses. This too adds to the costs of low-income consumer loans.

Given the high cost of low-end consumer lending, it is no surprise that high cost payday loan companies and pawn shops have arisen to serve these low-end markets. It also should not be a surprise that the large commercial banks shun these markets.

08/02/13Diplomatic Failure

BY: Armstrong Williams

Diplomatic Failure

President Putin has played President Obama like a fiddle on the roof top. Shortly after Obama's election Putin convinced the Presdent to withdraw anti missile defenses in Eastern Europe. We betrayed our allies in Eastern Europe and got absolutely nothing in exchange. A couple of years ago the President agreed to reduce America's nuclear force and once again got absolutely nothing in exchange. The President continued his diplomatic naivety by convincing the rest of the develop world to restrict trade with Iran.

President Putin once again ignored these restrictions and continues to do this day business as usual with Iran. In the Middleast Russia is the purveyor of weapons to Assad in Syria, despite negotiations attempting to restrict the conflict.

Given this history, why are we at all surprise that Putin granted asylum to Edward Snowden? Clearly America under President Obama from the eyes of Vladimir Putin is a paper Tiger with a naive kitten as it's leader. This is not a phony scandal Mr. President, but a failure of American diplomatic and military leadership that starts at the top of the U.S. government.

President Obama doesn't have the chutzpah to stand up against strong dictators like Putin, Kim Jong Ill, Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The world's dictators have unrestricted diplomatic cover under Obama's watch, unless of course they are friends of America, like Mubarak of Egypt.

In money and banking one of the fundamental principles that are maxims that we are taught is that the Federal Reserve creates money. But that’s simply not the case,and that reminds me, and we're going all the way back to elementary school for a moment; where we are taught that money is a noun. WRONG. Money is a verb. The definition of a Verb is too work. Money is created by commercial bank which means lending (hopefully to business people) and not buying government bonds. America back to work means banks lending money to its business customer base which results in greater employment and greater productivity.

Jobs are created only one way and that is through production. We must remember that jobs are a bi product of production.More jobs and a free market system allow more people to be competitive, and more successful. More successful people create a network which breeds more success: culturally, financially,and emotionally. I have created jobs for people over the years, good jobs, and I am proud of that, and buying a TV stationwillallow me to create even more. Minorities need this system because of all the trickle down results. The potential for a wealthier or more successful friend or family member can only help minorities rise out of poverty, and the free market system is the foundation of that.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.

When it comes to leverage---debt---it has to be managed very carefully. I believe that it should only be used when you have enough in reserve to cover defaults. People who are overleveraged--like those who bought property with low income and no down payment (equity)---are vulnerable to any shift in the market. If you are overleveraged, or get into a variable adjusted rate mortgage, you end up paying more for the property than necessary, and when things become difficult, you may find yourself in trouble, living way beyond your means.

The virtues of saving, work and thrift must form the basic foundation of capitalism in this country again. It's what we have to get back to in order to restore sanity to financial markets. It's what we must reawaken in ourselves and everyone else if we want to establish America's rightful place at the head of the table among the leading economies of the world.

07/30/13That nasty stigma

BY: Armstrong Williams

That nasty Stigma

The reality is that both Democrats and Republicans are absolutely right when they decry whichever set of preferential policies they oppose---legacy admissions and nepotism, on the one hand, and race-preferential policies on the other. The key difference is that the former only affects a handful of companies and random individuals who work in and, in some cases, run the "big businesses," while the latter has a vastly negative impact on entire classes of people in our 300-million-plus nation.

So, while the recipient of a legacy admission to Harvard might have to live with a stigma, he also might not. After all, he'll have the Harvard degree, and few of his future employees will be any wiser that his rich alumnum daddy got him into school; he'll either succeed in the real world or he won't.

Sure, his immediate circle of friends and family will know, but something more pernicious, pervasive and wrong follows around a minority who rises to the top throughout society: affirmative-action beneficiary.

With admissions quotas in place at many colleges and universities that require less of minority applicants, that nasty epithet--affirmative-action benificiary--has become commonplace.

07/29/13Education Results

BY: Armstrong Williams

Education results

At every turn we are putting obstacles in the way of preparing our children to succeed. Every politician’s speech on education reform results in America ceding ground to the rest of the world. Each parent that insists their child is an angel and should be passed despite never doing homework is dooming the future generations of Americans through entitlement and low achievement.

We watch as America burns from the ground up, focusing on bullying and self-esteem over knowledge, achievement, and success. Acceptance of the status quo is without a doubt akin to saying “I hate America and my children.”

07/25/13Teachers share the blame

BY: Armstrong Williams

Teachers share the blame

Good morning:

The high-minded progressives see public education as something to be protected from private competition and the ravages of better, more innovative systems from not only domestic systems independent of the decayed US institution, but also those from abroad.Teachers are not without fault in public education. I feel most teachers are the whipping boy of education reformers, especially among the right.In public education, teachers are not specialist in their fields unless they are coming to it as a second career. Typically, mathematicians do not teach trigonometry, nor do those with English literature degrees teach high school English. The vast majority of teachers are education majors with a subject matter certification.

07/24/13Aaron Hernandez

BY: Armstrong Williams

Aaron Hernandez

A contract worth 40 million dollars, a newborn child, a fiancée, on top of being the star receiver for one of the NFL’s best teams and historically successful franchises apparently didn’t matter to Aaron Hernandez. How anyone in their right mind do something so sinister after becoming “set” for the rest of their life seems to be the general consensus. The headline for the Aaron Hernandez case however shouldn’t be about the tragedy he was involved in, as horrific as it was, it should focus on the fact that despite stardom, athletes fame and fortune actually enhances their past demons, they become lost in an inner image struggle, and revert back to their comfort zone and their old life, too give them a deeper sense of power.

07/22/13Fighting wars already won

BY: Armstrong Williams

Fighting wars already won.

Rev Jesse Jackson emerged over the weekend on network cable television after a long absence advocating a national boycott of Florida. Other than mainstream media and the Democratic party it appears that no one pays much attention to the traditional civil rights establishment anymore. Part of the reason is that they are still fighting wars that are already won. The sad saga about the civil right's establishment is their clueless ness to the wars that needs to be fought in the days world. They no longer need to fight de jure segregation. The Zimmerman and OJ Simpson case clearly protects the accuse, regardless of one's race.

What the civil right's establishment need to fight is the disintegration of the black family. The disintegration of the black family has led to a pathology of dependence on government welfare and an entitlement mentality, which is almost as bad as slavery. 80 percent of black children are born out of wedlock today, compared to 10% at the dawn of the civil rights movement.

Detroit filing bankruptcy is major. There is really no other way for them to work out their problems unless the state of Michigan is willing to absorb their problems.

Remember Stockton CA went bankrupt several months ago. Their are a hand full of cities in similar situations as Detroit. Several in California, Harrisburg, PA., and Cleveland, Ohio.

This is not unique but Detroit maybe the biggest so far.

Low interest rates are driving these cities to bankruptcy. Over the years these cities have created unfunded pension obligations. Without getting into the technicality of how unfunded

pension obligations or actuary are determined; when interest rates decline unfunded obligations increase because the return on investments decline. For example, if the unfunded obligations on most

municipal actuaries assume a rate of return of 8%, in fact the rate of return of most pension funds have been in the area of half that over the past 5 years. Another factor contributing to Detroit is

it's population declined from one million eight to seven hundred thousand. This resulted into a ton of tax revenue loss and Detroit refused to substantially reduce their municipal employees and services. In other words with the loss

of massive population, they continued to operate administratively at the same level.

When a city wants to give bond holders 10 cents to every dollar borrowed, this is a recipe for raising the cost of

borrowing money for weak municipalities across our nation. This increased cost of borrowing creates a vicious cycle of further economic distress upon these communities.

The declining population is caused by white middle class flight to the suburbs. This flight left a disproportionate number of minorities with lower incomes to support the city financially.

The political structure in Detroit is not part of the business culture. . The Detroit political power structure didn't have the connections and credibility with the business culture to bring in new business and resources to help redevelop the city.

The two lessons. One is cities evolve in terms of their businesses, populations, and the municipal services need to evolve with them. Detroit didn't evolve in a way to reflect it's declining population and find a way to replace

lost businesses. Secondly, Detroit's business climate was very much pro union, welfare state, and thereby created a climate which was anti business. When you create a climate that is anti business, these businesses eventually leave

and find more friendly territory. In the words of Iron Lady Thatcher "the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people money".

07/18/13Mandela's 95th birthday

BY: Armstrong Williams

Mandela and forgiveness

Today is former South African President Nelson Mandela's 95th birthday. In the last century we have had amongst us one of the greatest transforming men in history .

Mandela's example of forgiving his tormentors and forgiving the South African government for it's brutal apartheid system, remains one of the greatest examples of a worldly leader.

A man whose life and career proved that righteousness prevails in the end. We may not see it initially but time is a corrective element to all things. Mandela who saw and was subjected to the harshest forms of bigotry and discrimination changed his immediate world and the world at large.

This former prisoner has been received by King's , Queens, world leaders, ecclesiastical leaders, for it is recognized universally that we should all strive to be more like Mandela.

One of the great men of the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi attempted to change South Africa to no avail. Gandhi stood up to the British Government and it capitulated. However when he stood up to the South Africans apartheid system he was reduced to tears and humiliation. Former President Mandela did not have the luxury of retreating to another land. He had no choice but to cast his bucket where he was and say No Mas!.

07/17/13Our Economy

BY: Armstrong Williams

Our Economy

The stock market and real estate markets are affect by two phenomenon's. First is the fundamentals of the market. In the stock market The fundamentals include the health of the economy, such as consumption, growth, and employment and productivity. In the real estate market fundamentals include household income, demographics, and location.

The second factor is monetary policy. In general low interest rates increase the supply of money and will drive real estate and stock prices higher.

The fundamentals of our economy today are at best mediocre. Economic growth hovers in the 2% range. Unemployment hovers in the 7% range. However unemployment is understated in one look at the number of underemployed individuals working part time jobs and very low labor participation rate. On the positive side America is at the forefront of a major energy boom. It is hard to know whether the fundamentals will improve over the next year or not.

Looking at the monetary situation it is fairly clear that interest rates which have been at historical lows can only go in one direction, and that is much higher.

This analogy indicates a blinking amber light with respect to the direction of the stock and real estate markets.

George Zimmerman, like O.J. Simpson, must spend the rest of his life facing the torment of his conscience having taking the life of a young man in such a reckless way. Mr. Zimmerman must not only someday face his maker but spend the rest of his life enduring the pain and suffering of robbing someone of their God-given life. The rest of society must put this sad chapter behind us and let heal the wounds against racial harmony each case led to.

But we also must be extremely cautious about trying to enact new laws as a result of the Zimmerman verdict. New laws and regulations enacted in response to bad outcomes in particular cases often in the end have unintended consequences. And continuing to prosecute Mr. Zimmerman at the federal level will only intensify racial animosity .

George Zimmerman case was not about race. Mr. Zimmerman is Hispanic, normally one of the protected minorities in America. In order to make the story about race, the New York Times, and some other media outlets, calls him a "white Hispanic" (his father is white, his mother of Peruvian heritage). When was the last time anybody in America heard a Hispanic called a "white Hispanic"? Calling Mr. Zimmerman a "white Hispanic" is like calling Adam Clayton Powell or Barack Obama a "white black." But the media needed to create hysterics and so injected race into the equation to make it more salable to the American people as a political circus. After all, who cares about two white men or two black men in a fight that results in death.

Much of the publics reaction to the verdict don't seem to care much about the evidence presented, because it happens to be a white man killing a black man, the white man must be severely punished. In reverse it's a historical lynching. Some people want a lynching and could care less about the facts of the case. When one have conversations with people who are demanding "Justice for Trayvon" and you ask whether they've followed the trial, they look at you as if that is the most unimportant question in the world. The fact that the prosecutions case had more holes in it than pieces of Swiss cheese, matters not one bit to their desire to see George Zimmerman in prison. Trayvon like Zimmerman are not human beings, but rather are symbols. Yet Zimmerman like Trayvon are flesh and blood people, and both of their lives matter. Trayvon deserves to be treated like a human being not as some abstract principle or card board figure to be waved around by leftist propagandist for their own purposes. At the end of the day Zimmerman took Trayvon's life, but the incompetence of the Prosecution case left the jury with no alternative but to find him not guilty of the charges the state presented.

Can you imagine an immigration bill passing through Congress that explicitly secures the border and gives no amnesty, which the President signs into law? Would President Obama enforce it completely or ignore aspects of it ?

This is the same Obama administration that bypassed Congress and enforced the DREAM Act by executive order. This is the same administration that illegally took out the work provisions of welfare-to-work reforms of the 1990’s. This is the same administration that declared the Senate in recess to make recess appointments to the NLRB- even though the Senate wasn’t in recess. A federal judge ruled against the administration, yet those illegal appointments still remain intact. And yet this administration continues to disregard the enforcement of current immigration law.

Basically, President Obama cherry picks which laws to enforce and which laws to ignore. This is not how a constitutional republic works, that’s how a banana republic works. Given all this, why would anyone think that passing an immigration bill that secures the border would be enforced by Obama now ?

The answer to our immigration problem is simple- make sure the border is secure first, implement a mandatory E-Verify system and enforce current law. We can't and want enforce current law with the current administration. Their must be an unconditional respect for the rule of law before serious immigration reform is ever passedby both Houses in Congress.

BY: Armstrong Williams
Repeal Obamacare and save Healthcare
Instead of trying to change and improve ObamaCare, as Dick Durbin and other Democrats are pushing to do, the GOP needs to in every way possible way delay this train wreck. The best way to change and improve ObamaCare, is to repeal it.
Delaying the individual mandate only gives the Democrats political cover during the 2014 midterms. Yes, it was wise and politically savvy for the administration delaying the employer mandate, in a sluggish and economy of uncertainty.
But delaying the individual mandate only helps the Democrats. Let them explain to their constituents their support for a broken, onerous law that’s on course for a massive train wreck.
As for the narrative of the GOP standing with the little guy and the Democrats stand with big business- there are already plenty of examples of that if you contrast conservative and liberal policies.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/10/13Egypt's Military

BY: Armstrong Williams
Egypt's Military
Once again Winston Churchill puts the electorate in perspective. “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” Certainly it is an argument for checks and balances and the ability to remove failed democratically elected officials.
Historically, the Egyptian military has been a stable force in Egyptian society. It’s independence from civilian government control is enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. Whether one agrees with it or not, it believes it has a mandate to change a civilian government when it is no longer responsive to the people. It was responsible for removing the non-responsive Hosni Mubarak government prior to Morsi’s election. Shouldn’t it do the same with Morsi’s government that it considers unresponsive to the people?

07/09/13Moral approbation

BY: Armstrong Williams
Moral approbation
You shouldn't be allowed to marry in the Court house if we don't get the 10 commandments in the courthouse . Marriage is no less or more a product of religion than the 10 commandments . The same could be said for the pledge of allegiance or prayer in schools. What many gays and their supporters want is the moral approbation that goes with the concept of marriage .
What the majority of Americans want is the moral approbation that goes with the 10 commandments .
Many in the liberal elite want to read any hint of religion out of the public square, unless it relates too gay marriage.

07/04/13Happy 237th Birthday America

BY: Armstrong Williams
Happy 237th Birthday America
We must also keep in mind that the part of the Founders’ vision was not for a welfare state reliant upon the government. The Founders wanted nothing to do with anything resembling a monarchy. Power was not to be given to one entity to rule over the rest of the country. What the Founders envisioned was a limited government that would provide essential services to the people, but most decisions would be for the people to make for themselves. If the Founders saw the size and shape of our current government and how much it taxes us, they would probably be rolling in their graves.
In keeping with the Founders’ vision, we should not wait for the government to act; we must take initiative. We must understand that it is up to us to change for the better. We cannot rely on government to make things right or force us to be good. Government alone cannot produce good people. We must take responsibility for ourselves.
Despite our problems that have befallen our nation, our nation is great because of its people.

07/03/13Obama promises and yet can't deliver

BY: Armstrong Williams
Obama promises and yet can't deliver.
Let's remember when President Obama was initially inaugurated, he promised tens of billions of dollars in shovel ready projects. To date nothing. He pushes healthcare into law, which has become the signature of his administration and can't implement it. His administration has become more effective in dirty tricks than anything else. His affordable Health care law which mandated businesses to provide health insurance to employees, has now been delayed until January 2015. Guess what? It want happen in January 2015. President Barack Obama is a Eunuch and when called upon to deliver, he can't perform.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/02/13Thinking our Loud

BY: Armstrong Williams
Thinking out Loud
It is highly Unusual for the Stock market and interest rates to soar upwards at the same time.
It's usually an inverse relationship. However,there is so much money available that we shouldn't be surprise.
The fed is putting $85 billion monthly in the money supply. When banks stop investing in the short term market and begin demanding higher returns, the market will comply.
The coiffeurs of institutions and company's are filled with cash. However, basically Federal and state governments don't have money to enhance or expand themselves and many are bankrupt.
Are you suprise that we still don't have growth in the economy?
What happened to President Obama's shovel ready projects? Why can't we repair the interstate highway system. Why are our highways at the risk of collapse ?
Why can't we better maintain government buildings ?

06/28/13

BY: Armstrong Williams
Nelson Mandela was no terrorist
Many people like historical perspective when they refer to Nelson Mandela as a terrorist. Freedom is rarely given and is usually fought for. The South African government were the terrorist, in brutalizing people who insisted on their God given rights of social and economic freedoms. Likewise the British government of George III attempted to constrained the economic and social freedoms of colonial America. These same people would have labeled George Washington a terrorist. When freedom is threatened you do what you must, to gain or retain your freedom. During Apartheid in South Africa, a black African had no choice but to fight for his freedom or submit to functional slavery. There have been few strong individuals who were willing to sacrifice their lives for freedom, to inspire others to fight for their God given right and privilege. Mandela is no more of a terrorist than John Brown was a terrorist during the abolitionist movement.
Terrorist are people who inspire random fear . The purpose of this random fear is not freedom, but to beget people to coward into becoming something they do not want to become.

06/27/13Puppet or Whistle Blower

BY: Armstrong Williams
Puppet or Whistle Blower
Who is Edward Snowden's financier? The question as to whether he is a hero or traitor, might be answered once it is known who is footing his bills? Where he was staying in Hong Kong wasn't cheap. His airfare, security and international ground transportation is quite expensive. The more this sad saga lingers, the more obvious Snowden appears to be a puppet rather than a whistle blower.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/26/13Paula Deen

BY: Armstrong Williams
Paula Deen
If you've followed the headlines and TV channels, you have notice that Paula Deen is on her apology tour for using the N word. How many of you have used the N word 30 years ago or if you're being truly honest, within the last month ? Who decides when one uses the N word, who will and will not be punished by the court of public opinion and the market place of business ? Especially among the current generation of young American Blacks, the N word is used and embraced without restraint ( many following the example of their parents) . I can honestly say I have never used the N word and would not tolerate the use of the word in my presence by anyone.
While the N word is offensive, we need to make certain that everyone is held to the same standard when using the word, and not just a select few who are white and most vulnerable.

06/25/13Justice Thomas and Affirmative Action

BY: Armstrong Williams
Justice Thomas and Affirmative Action
Justice Clarence Thomas brilliantly wrote in a concurring opinion yesterday that Affirmative Action laws hurts those black and Hispanic students who are admitted more than those who are not. "Although cloaked in good intentions, the University’s racial tinkering harms the very people it claims to be helping," he wrote.
"Slaveholders argued that slavery was a 'positive good' that civilized blacks and elevated them in every dimension of life," Thomas wrote in his separate opinion on Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. "A century later, segregationists similarly asserted that segregation was not only benign, but good for black students."
"I learned the hard way that a law degree from Yale meant one thing for white graduates and another for blacks, no matter how much anyone denied it,'' he wrote in his memoir, My Grandfather's Son. "I'd graduated from one of America's top law schools, but racial preference had robbed my achievement of its true value."
I strongly urge you to read this unapologetic higher truth that is so often dismissed and ignored by the media and intellectual elite. Just look at the results of affirmative action for the past several decades, and outline the progress for the masses of black people that will never benefit. Affirmative Action has become a bourgeoisie boon doggle. The elite class feels entitled to Affirmative Action and thus knowing full well that the masses of blacks will never benefit from the glaring failed program.

06/24/13Perspiration and Inspiration

BY: Armstrong Williams
Perspiration and Inspiration
Inspired people see under-recognized opportunities and think outside of the box to solve problems. Steve Jobs recognized that exploiting the power of the computer went beyond the typewriter keyboard and developed the computer mouse.Thomas Edison saw the need for improved artificial lighting and invented the light bulb. He did not try to improve the candle. Henry Ford saw the opportunity of providing low cost automobiles to the middle class by perfecting mass production of the automobile. Albert Einstein recognized that Newtonian physics could not explain certain physical phenomenon and developed the theory of relativity.
There is no clear path to success. My study of successful individuals in history and my personal observation of those that I have personally known convince me that perspiration and inspiration are key ingredients. If an American wants to be successful, he or she must look for inspiration and be prepared to sweat.

06/20/13Right and wrong

BY: Armstrong Williams
Right and Wrong
Because the laws governing society have become so complex, ordinary people often feel helplessly lost and feel they have to rely on experts just perform basic, ordinary functions as citizens. Laws governing the voting process require proof of identification that can be difficult to obtain. The system of taxation has become opaque, fuzzy and susceptible to all forms of trickery and abuse. Small business owners find themselves bound by a mind-numbing set of regulations that impede the basic economic engine of our country from growing, stifle innovation, and discourage the entrepreneurial spirit. And our members of Congress have succumbed to the self-serving and amoral dictum, when fighting to fund this or that worthless project, that it’s going to be spent somewhere, so why not in my district? We certainly have lowered the standard for what’s right and wrong, haven’t we? In no small part because the laws are so complex and self-contradictory that we’ve almost been left with no other way to look at moral matters.
Surely good laws and regulations are essential in ensuring orderly societal direction and providing for the public good. A just, sound legal system can, in many ways, foster entrepreneurship and international trade. And by protecting the rights of minorities, they exemplify the best that Western Civilization has to offer.

06/19/13Syria and unholy alliances

BY: Armstrong Williams
Syria and unholy alliances
Hezbollah and Al Qaeda represent the two sides of the Syrian conflict. Both are terrorist organizations, obviously. If you had to guess which one we were more likely to help in this case, most would say, “Hezbollah is the lesser of two evils.” Wrong, we are supporting Al Qaeda.
Surely this cannot be because Obama himself declared Al Qaeda defeated just this past May. Perhaps, he meant the non-US supported branch of Al Qaeda.
But I digress.
Our man in the fight has been our greatest foe since 2001. Their primary purpose is to expel Americans from the Middle East- especially Saudi Arabia- and take the fight to the American mainland itself. Somehow, Al Qaeda is now our beacon of hope for democracy in Syria.
The best outcome would be to give the Syrian Al Qaeda supported rebels just enough firepower to keep fighting so both sides kill each other. And then all the equipment we deliver magically disappears.

06/18/13Can the Supreme Court Read English

Good morning.
Can seven of the nine members of the Supreme Court read English ? The constitution is quite clear that States have the right to determine voter eligibility standards.
What is unconstitutional about a State requiring proof of citizenship for a person registering to vote? It has always been my understanding that citizens of this country can vote in an election. Can this Supreme Court decision knocking down Arizona's proof of citizenship requirement, be interpreted to mean that registering voters want need to show proof of age. Does it mean that a registering voter in Marion, SC does not have to show they are residents of that town ? What are we missing from this recent
ruling ? Remember Reagan's words, trust but verify.
Given this obtuse ruling by the Supreme Court, Congress must act immediately to pass a law requiring proof of citizenship for voting. If Congress want do it, American's may need to pass a constitutional amendment, otherwise we'll have non citizens who don't live in our nation voting in our elections.

06/17/13Line in the Sand

BY: Armstrong Williams
Line in the Sand
What is the purpose of the Obama administration sending light arms to the rebels in Syria ?
We already know that Assad's regime has used chemical weapons and that was the redline that Obama drew in the sand.
Our president indicated there would be severe consequences if this were the case; so sending light weapons to the rebels, does that constitute severe consequences. If it does, our enemies have nothing to fear from us. The
Iranians in particular should be paying attention to our diplomatic ineptitude, since the administration has vowed that it would not allow them to obtain a nuclear weapon.
If in fact this administration had acted intelligently in 2009 when the people of Iran were in active revolt against their oppressive government, the entire landscape of the Middle East today would be drastically different. Let us now forget that were begging for our assistance and the request was swiftly declined. There is a price associated with global leadership, for this administration that price appears to be too great.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/13/13Cheering for George Zimmerman's acquittal

BY: Armstrong Williams (Blog)
Cheering for George Zimmerman's acquittal
The average person probably understands why there was a rush to judgement amongst many American Blacks in favor of O J Simpson and now against George Zimmerman. Remember OJ Simpson was accused of killing Nicole and Ron. Despite all the evidence that supported the fact that Simpson committed the crimes, many blacks dismissed the evidence and desperately wanted him to be found not guilty. Let us fast forward a couple of decades to our present time where we have another racially charged case in which a white man is accused of murdering a black teenager. Again, regardless of the evidence that is presented that might lead to the acquittal of George Zimmerman many blacks are unwilling to even entertain the thought of him being found not guilty. Will there come a time when much of the African American community can put behind the history of negativity and moves toward a vision that is uplifting for themselves and ultimately the nation? Given the high pitch rhetoric and favor once given towards OJ Simpson, can we at least (as OJ) give Zimmerman the benefit of the doubt and assume he is is innocent until proven guilty.
You may even consider cheering for Zimmerman's acquittal as was the case with OJ, during his highly publicized trial.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/12/13Hero or Goat ?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Hero or Goat?
Is the NSA leaker a hero or a Goat? There is no question that our constitution forbids unwarranted search and seizure and the mindless trolling of data for all Americans certainly fits into that category. So the question is, if someone who exposes a clear violation of the constitution illegally, is someone we should admire or someone we should punish ? One should bear in mind that those individuals who are citizens of America before the revolution, made a conscience decision to violate laws that they felt infringe upon their freedom. They became criminals and in many cases were executed. In fact the young revolutionary by the name of Nathan Hale at age 17 said "My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country". It is not difficult given the rash of governmental excesses to draw a strong correlation between the American revolutionaries and those today who are extremely concerned about the direction of our country and loss of freedom. In the case of Edward Snowden is it more important that he broke the law or that he exposed governmental violations of the United States Constitution ?

06/07/13Building Wealth

BY: Armstrong Williams
Building Wealth
The fastest way to build wealth is to associate with people who have strongly held values, are ambitious, loyal, and enhances you in your moral striving and financially. Likewise, the fastest way to the poorhouse is to associate with the wrong people or try to achieve wealth independently and taking short cuts. You cannot become wealthy or financially independent on your own. If you develop and remain faithful in your relationships with successful individuals, you will greatly enhance your opportunities for financial stability. Finding a mentor who can advise and counsel you about your personal situation is a great way to learn the ins and outs of the financial world. Mentors not only provide positive reinforcement and a vast amount of real life knowledge, but they help provide connections, business opportunities, and potential partnerships. Even if these relationships don’t prove to be financial booms, they allow you to expand your network and improve your business and communications skills. Finally, examine your social scene and beware of those who shows moments of envy, jealousy, waste your time with pettiness or impede your chances to succeed.

06/07/13Presidential scandals don't translate to votes.

BY: Armstrong Williams
Scandal politics ignite the base and repress the enthusiasm of your opponents, but voting history has shown that it absolutely cannot expand a voting bloc.
All we need to do is look at history. McCarthyism did not garner the Republicans any votes. Iran-Contra did not help the Democrats. Impeaching Clinton over the Lewinsky scandal only created a backlash in the general population.
And so it is that the IRS scandal will not win the GOP one single election.
The GOP is not in danger of over-playing their hand so much as playing the wrong game right now. Washington Conservatives are trying to play poker because they have a straight draw; the problem is that they are playing blackjack.
Ideas are always the keys to votes and Republican leaders are not offering any.
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7pm and 5-6 am Monday through Friday.
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06/04/13Is a College Education worth the debt

BY: Armstrong Williams
Is a College Education worth the debt
Today- all other things being equal- a hard working, responsible teenager from a lower economic class who is taking part-time and full-time jobs to pay for themselves and help their families is worth less to Harvard than a well-to-do student who’s parents had the capability to found a charity in their child’s name.
Teens can no longer have a childhood, they cannot be themselves, and they cannot take time to figure out what they want. Instead, they must be pushed and forced into the mold of a proper applicant. They must, at the very least, pretend to be globally conscious and proclaim their altruism.
The process degrades our children and cheapens adolescence.
Unless we recognize and revise this new layer of undisclosed, pricey prerequisites, higher education will only become further unattainable for the vast majority of Americans.

05/31/13U.S Should support Nigeria in its Fight Against islamists

BY: Armstrong Williams
U.S. Should Support Nigeria in Its Fight Against Islamists
During Secretary of State John Kerry’s first official trip to sub-Saharan last week he had the opportunity to publicly bolster a key U.S. ally. Instead, he singled out Nigeria for criticism at the very time the country is engaged in a pitched battle to defend itself against radical Islamic terrorists who have pledged to overthrow the government and replace it with an Islamic state.
It was a puzzling choice by the United States, coming at the very moment that Nigeria is reporting major progress in combating the group Boko Haram. Nigeria has deployed 2,000 soldiers to its northern regions to destroy well-equipped terrorist training camps utilized by the radical Islamic terrorists. Public chiding is not what Nigeria needs. It doesn’t help Nigeria in its fight and ultimately does not best serve American interests.
Nigeria is presently at war and on the other side are terrorists who may be receiving help from al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda linked fighters. Nigeria’s goal is to retain its grip on three northern states, preventing Boko Haram from solidifying its grip on the region and fundamentally destabilizing Nigeria through terrorism that aims to strike fear in the hearts of its citizens.

05/30/13The new Affirmative Action for Ivy League college entrance

BY: Armstrong Williams
The new Affirmative Action for Ivy League college entrance
Rich students dominate most top universities.
Many of the paths to the best schools require unpaid internships, founding charities, academic camps, and excellence in sports. The average child and parent are unlikely to be aware of such requirements, much less have the resources to pursue them.
What this system has become is affirmative action for rich families. Only they can afford to meet these stipulations, or pay others to help their kids meet them.
Unfortunately, if your child studies hard to make good grades and test scores, that is not enough to get into one of America’s elite colleges. Children have to have a narrative arch, like a TV show. There must be an epiphany involved, and not one about the teen himself, rather about the plight of the world and how the suffering has touched you to want to devote your life to everyone else.

05/29/13Decision Time

BY: Armstrong Williams
Decision Time
Any tough decision such as divorce, leaving a life long career, or moving to a foreign location requires soul searching and analysis of facts as opposed to domination by emotions. If one engages in such an analysis they will know when it's time to make a major change in their life. This is not to say that feelings don't play into such a decision. Sometime when one awakens in the morning they are excited about what they're going to be doing that day. When that excitement abates it maybe time to begin thinking about a change, particularly if there is something else that is exciting and has tremendous promise. The reason that we are endowed with very significant frontal lobes is because they allow us to integrate information from our past and our present and project it into our future. Our ability to plan and strategize separates us from all other creatures if we choose to exercise these abilities.
The bottom line is rational thought processes should guide our lives and should be seasoned by our emotions, which are developed through our collective life long experiences.

05/28/13Honesty

BY: Armstrong Williams
Honesty
One of the things that make a democracy work well is honesty in government. The people must trust their leaders. When that trust is repeatedly violated the people have a choice of simply accepting dishonesty and corruption or making radical changes in leadership. The first option is the easiest and the one most often chosen by default. The second option requires significant courage, particularly if the corruption in leadership is capable of creating punitive consequences for those that disagree with its actions. Freedom is one of the most valuable entities that a society possess. It is worth fighting for and it is going to be necessary for the people of the United States to become involved with the removal of corruption and dishonesty, if we're to maintain the greatness that has long characterized our nation.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/27/13Memorial Day Rembrance

BY: Armstrong Williams
Memorial Day remembrance
Many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice have ignored the true meaning of Memorial Day.
We often do not observe the day as it should be. It's a day for remembering our ancestors, our neighbors, our friends, our loved ones and our family members who have given their lives for the betterment of America.
When it comes to war, there are very few moments of individual gallantry. The individual combatant rarely dwarfs his surroundings. No John Waynes to ride through a hale of enemy fire to save the day. In fact, those one-dimensional embodiments of masculine striving are usually the first to die. Moments of war rarely allow for clarity.
War is a chaos where platoons of men are condemned to slaughter one another. War is a horror where one is ordered to kill strangers, to run in the face of enemy fire, to ignore the sight of his friends as they crumple to the ground. This lack of clarity becomes transparent to every soldier as his captain shouts, "Over the top men, everyone out!"
In that moment, each soldier finds himself engulfed in death and confusion. There is a scene in Steven Spielberg's film "Saving Private Ryan", in which a young man has his arm blown off. He stumbles around, gazing at his shattered limb, unsure of what to do.
War is detached horror.
War is confusion.

05/23/13Woes of our nation

BY: Armstrong Williams
Woes of our nation
Good morning.
Associated Press (AP) wiretapped- the Department of Justice tapped the phones of AP reporters and offices for two months in an effort to locate an administration leak.
APgate is troubling, but the problem for the Republicans it is legal and part of the Patriot Act. Any attempts to role this particular part of the legislation back has been convincingly voted down by both parties. Suddenly, the Republicans realize that an overreaching Patriot Act may not have been a good thing, but it feels politically rather than ideologically driven.
The IRS scandal is the most relatable and represents the most immediate problem for our country. Only a fool would believe that 2-4 field workers took it upon themselves to single-handedly institute a policy of red taping conservative groups. It rises higher, but I seriously doubt the President directed such actions.

05/22/13The end of excuses and victimization

BY: Armstrong Williams
The end of excuses and victimization culture
I may be hard on the President, mainly because we differ greatly on political ideology, but I must give him all due respect for the commencement speech he gave at Morehouse College. He laid it bare and told the students of the historically black all male school that there are no more excuses.
Many of the graduates came from broken homes, neighborhoods, and communities. They had every deck stacked against them and every excuse to fall into a cycle of crime, prison, and absentee fatherhood; yet they did not.
They made a choice to work harder, to be their best self. They were determined to become winners.
And standing before them was a perfect example of why we have no real reason we cannot succeed- the President himself. A man that those embracing victimhood said could never exist: a black president.
Simply put, President Obama represents the end of excuses and victimization culture.

05/20/13The dangers of Big Government

BY: Armstrong Williams
The dangers of Big Government
Logistics alone make it impossible for a government to solve every citizen’s problem. Yet, a bigger government is expected to do just that.
Big government is inflexible; it cannot respond to priorities because, over time, there are too many competing priorities. The greater the bureaucracy grows the more it becomes impersonal, wasteful, over-stretched, and difficult to reign in.
Furthermore, big government does not trust you to know how best to run your life, yet other imperfect beings are somehow capable of properly directing your life as soon as they are employed by the government. People are fallible, and so is the state.
If liberals are right about the role of government, then how did these scandals happen? Do we truly need more government to stop these things from happening?

05/17/13Cyber Security

BY: Armstrong Williams
Cyber Security
We can relate to the hate from the Nazis to the Ku Klux Klan . However, we have no perspective of the hate that the Middle East, Russians, and Chinese have for the American way of life. This hatred fuels there desire to leverage mass cyber attacks to steal our IP. They would like no more than to disrupt our nation critical infrastructure and steal our cash. The weapons they use are not AK47 but are cyber sophisticated cyber attacks that we are not prepared to defend.
Discussions about cyber defense or computer network defense tend to focus on only one aspect of the cyber opertional spectrum---defensive responses and actions on the network. Likewise, discussions about intelligence in support of the defensive mission are often limited to the network activity itself, as if it were a self-generating activity. It is not. Network activity comprises merely a portion of total activity influencing operations in cyberspace. Furthermore, network activity represents only one level of cyber defense and intelligence activities in support of it. Moreover, actions at this level are typically reactive and generally occur only after the adversary is already "inside the wire". Ultimately, network activity and behavior is driven by human interaction and has a story of intent that can be told.

05/16/13Weaponizing the IRS

BY: Armstrong Williams
Weaponizing the IRS
President Obama is either sleeping on the job or deceiving us. He claims not to have known about the IRS scandal before the American people, and for now we should give him the benefit of the doubt. He also claims that he had no prior knowledge of the AP scandal until the public was made aware. Long ago he also lay claim to be unaware of the "Fast and Furious" gun trafficking. Finally he didn't know about Benghazi until much later in the developing story. We the People deserve a president who his on top of critical developments in his administration. In most organizations the CEO is responsible and takes full responsibility for what happens. In the Benghazi affair former Secretary of State Clinton took the fall. Yesterday the acting IRS commissioner who was scheduled to resign in two weeks before this disaster, took the fall. The president has a habit of blaming other subordinates before being forced to accept full responsibility .
Remember during the last presidential race the IRS was accused of leaking Romney's tax records to the Obama campaign. Unfortunately using the IRS as a weapon against political enemies has a long history in our nation. Do the American people truly want to place Obamacare in the trust of the IRS ?
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/14/13Immigration and a nation of laws

BY: Armstrong Williams
Immigration
I’ve heard the argument that we must choose between giving illegals a free ticket or risk shutting down the economy. This is just not true. It’s a false choice to argue that we either give illegals a free ticket here in the US, or force the economy to shut down. First of all, an argument can be made that illegals drain the economy as much as they stimulate it. Secondly, claiming that Americans will not perform certain cheap labor is both erroneous and insulting. Americans have a vast history of performing hard work for low pay and there’s no proof that they wouldn’t continue that tendency today. Furthermore, this claim insults both the American (you’re a fat cat) and the undocumented worker (you’re not worthy of a real job). Merely talking about this aspect of the immigration debate encourages racism, bigotry, and a return to a class society.
No one with half a heart wants to separate families, but this is a nation of laws, not of feel-good policies. Without a solid system in place, nobody will respect the law. And the problems stemming from illegal immigration today are a perfect example of why we create and enforce tough laws. The reality is that under proposed legislation put forth by republicans, illegals will eventually be able to reunite with their family in the US. After an illegal comes forth, documents their work, pays a fine, and returns to their country, they will be able to legally come back to America to work and join their family. This legislation will improve national security, give relief to tax payers, and ensure that immigrants truly become part of American society.
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05/10/13Focus

BY: Armstrong Williams
Focus
Education goes beyond formal education. Success also requires learning on the job so that a person constantly improves skills to add more value to his employer, clients, patients, audience and customers.
Commitment is another ingredient of perspiration. “When times get tough, the tough get going.” Successful people do not let barriers, difficulties or failure discourage them. Commitment requires a positive attitude. Commitment also means putting business, profession obligations, and study before conflicting temptations of pleasure and leisure. A student going to a frat party the night before his medical school exam is probably not committed to being a doctor.
Focus keeps the successful on track. It is rare for a person to be good at everything at the same time. For example very few successful professional athletes can pursue a career in the learned professions at the same time. Successful research scientists are rarely professional actors at the same time. Successful entrepreneurs focus on industries that they know best whether it is computers, software, electronics, real estate or entertainment.
Hard work both literally and metaphorically results in perspiration. The successful athlete must constantly challenge his ability in practice to be successful. A natural boxer who does not practice will lose to the less gifted athlete who practices constantly to hone his strength and skill. I am in the gym 4:30 am and arrive at my office every day by 6:00 am and leave at 7:08 pm. There is a constant sign in my mind as I work and network throughout the day: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” "The more I pray and choose not to yield to temptation, the more at peace and confident I become."

05/09/13Signs when the economy is improving

BY: Armstrong Williams
Signs when the economy is improving
Last week the unemployment rate dropped to 7.5%, the lowest in four years and housing sales are appearing to gain strength. Yesterday the down jones industrial average closed above 15000 and the political academic community is jumping up and down with euphoria. They are inferring that the economy has made a rebound. This may appear to be good news but look at the underlying fundamentals. On unemployment the participation rate is still at a record low. The unemployment rate is improving primarily because baby boomers are retiring and withdrawing from the labor force. Housing sales and prices are improving not because Americans are making more money, but because the feds are printing more money.
The actual median family income has declined over the last several years. The dow jones has climb above 15000, because the fed has printed money which has driven interest rates to record lows. For example two year treasury notes are .23%. The only reason money has gone into the stock market is because it gets no return from being held in banks.
As a businessman I will be convinced of an economic recovery when several things happen. First, the labor participation rate, or the number of Americans working actually increases. 2. When average earnings for the median family actually increase. 3. When housing prices increase, because Americans are making more money and not because banks are lending them cheap money. Finally, when the federal budget deficit is below 3% of the GNP.
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05/08/13SC media bias against Mark Sanford

BY: Armstrong Williams
SC Media bias against Mark Sanford
The bias media elite was trumpeting for the past week that SC congressional candidate Elizabeth Colbert Busch was leading former SC Governor Mark Sanford by a margin of 10%. The headlines declared that Sanford's adulterous history had finally come back with a vengeance, that he could no longer overcome to win the SC 1st Congressional district race. I will state it on this page again and again, that those manipulated advantages peddled by the media, were all pure unadulterated lies. Mrs. Busch never had a chance in defeating Mr. Sanford and it didn't matter how much money Pelosi and the Democratic machine poured in the race, the results would be the same, a resounding victory for the former Governor.
We wonder why many don't trust the media and pollsters. The SC congressional race is a fine and adequate example. If you want your candidate to win, continue spreading lies about the poll numbers and hopefully soon enough the perceived ill informed voter will believe you and vote for the candidate, such as Mrs. Elizabeth Colbert Busch. It didn't happen good folks, for we the people will allow them to think we're stupid and on judgement day give these hustlers a grim reality check. Congratulations Mark Sanford for your recent victory.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/07/13Moral Laws

BY: Armstrong Williams
Moral Laws
Throughout our history we have had moral laws. "Some call them absolutes," naively claiming that, like the law of gravity, they're incontrovertible and, whether divinely delivered or intrinsic to the human experience, cannot be broken----should not be broken. Those on the other side of the perennial debate say there's no such thing as a moral absolute; what's right and wrong is not black and white, but situational and culturally driven. Everything is relative; what's good for the goose isn't necessarily good for the gander; your god is not my god; that's your truth, not mine.
Clearly though everyone of us has a stake in everyone else's moral lives. This isn't to justify to justify a state governed by Big Brother with a tattletale populace. Far from it. I'm a free-market conservative who believes in individual responsibility and accountability. What I'm calling for is an individual-by-individual look inward that focuses on the outward impact of our daily decisions to act morally. If we don't do this, I'm afraid the very existence of our society is at risk. This nation has been the engine for the greatest good----freedom, justice, human rights and financial opportunity----in the history of man. We must not allow moral decay and sloth to rot us from the inside
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05/02/13Jason Collins: New Media Sensation

BY: Armstrong Williams
Jason Collins: New Media Sensation
Jason Collins has gone from a player with few fans to hundreds of thousands in a flash. His twitter subscribers alone jumped from 4000 to over 100,000 in a day. Most of his new fans only like him now, because of his announcement. To me, that is as absurd as liking a person only based on the color of their skin. But be that as it may, Collins is now THE spokesman for gay athletes in America- past, present, and future.
And now that he has made his private life public, that will be exploited for gossip- who is he dating, is he marching in this parade, is he properly representing the gay community.
Hopefully, Collins has the fortitude to stand up under this intense scrutiny.
for me personally, I do not care about Jason Collins’s sexuality, and neither should you. Rather, I care that Jason is a good person, son, brother, and teammate. That is all that really matters.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/01/13We are gift's to each other

BY: Armstrong Williams
We are gift's to each other
Good morning to the many faithful's that read my daily blog that is posted on this site. Just know that I personally read every post daily and often cringe at many of the responses. I am just amazed at how no matter what issue I am writing about, many of our highly intelligent members always find a way to inject race and make it the answer. This experience has taught me the best lessons in patience, tolerance, and reinforcing the strength of my own values and out look on life. The best part is when often I am at my wits end someone will write in with total agreement and just shock my sensibilities into realizing that progress is a slow but worthy endeavor. This continues to be a blessing for me and it's often reflected in my TV appearances, live syndicated radio broadcasts, and my writings. While this page can be a tough dose of medicine, I continue to remain grateful for your honesty and willingness to express what you feel, despite the sometime respectful but hostile opposition on this page.
Tolerance is measured by how you deal with those who are different from you and your peers. It is revealed by not acting on some prejudice and discriminating in a negative fashion, and dedicating yourself to treating your fellow men and women with respect, compassion and understanding. This does not mean that one has to like everyone or agree with their often bizarre views of the world. We all have the right not to like another person. Tolerance also means accepting those feelings respectfully and moving on with your lives. By showing greater tolerance and even forgiveness of those who are different, we hold a mirror up to their own beliefs. In doing so, they come to see that we aren't so different, that everyone is a fallible human being with his or her own dreams and troubles.
Whether we realize it now or later, but we are truly gifts to each other. Enjoy your day.
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04/30/13President Obama's FAA miscalculations

BY: Armstrong Williams
President Obama`s FAA miscalculations
Why did President Obama need Congress to micro manage the FAA? The President of the United States has unimagined authority in allocating spending within various budget categories. Why would Mr. Obama not recognize that commercial air travel is one of those essential services provided by our Federal Government? The inconvenience of air travel delays transcends the individuals involved in the delays. Air travel is one of the life bloods of commerce in America. Our president should have realized this before the FAA cuts of Air Traffic Controllers was implemented. He should have exercise the wisdom to allocate money from other budget items so that this essential service was not disrupted. Thank you Congress for forcing the issue.
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04/29/13Eco agitators

BY: Armstrong Williams
Eco agitators
The eco-agitators are forever uncomfortable with man's dominion over the earth. For them, man is a virus, endlessly programmed to consume and waste. They grow alarmed as man sucks the marrow from his host environment, plucking all of her fruit and casually belching poisons into the air. They warn that our factory toxins are burning holes in the sky. They reel off any number of doomsday scenarios: tidal shifts that will send small Third World villages careening into the sea; famine; disease; changes in global climate so pervasive that fat men start walking around with their shirts off - frightening indeed. The eco-agitators are on a mission to save the earth. They bind their bodies to trees here. They spout rhetoric into Radio Shack megaphones there. Sensible people point out that the earth is not so easily subdued. And indeed, it is true that much of the eco-doomsday scenarios are based upon loose conjecture and anachronistic statistics that fail to take into account current - or even comprehensive long-term - trends. Never mind that even the most fundamental procedure of measuring air quality involves a host of variables (environmental wild cards if you will) that leave a lot of gray area.
Since doomsday scenarios make for engaging headlines, the eco-agitators tend to dominate the printed space. Far less attention is paid to the fact that the world population has actually been ebbing over the past four decades, thus discrediting all of those straight line projections that had the global population exceeding its own food supply and exacerbating the greenhouse effect. Much of the hubbub about a holocaust on our trees was similarly exaggerated. In fact, global forest cover has actually increased over the last half century None of which is to say that pollution is of little concern. Plainly, the wonton destruction of our environment represents a crime against our quality of life. However, if we are to divert funding from childcare, hospitals, etc., to the environment, we ought to have a clear, present and absolutely unambiguous understanding of how our national interests will be served. We ought not rush to judgment based upon exaggeration. After all, two decades ago scientists were warning that a new ice age was upon us. Now they claim that the oceans will rise and temperatures around the globe will increase significantly, severely altering life, as we know it. Apocalyptic hooey? Maybe. The dilemma is over whether we wait and carefully gather and calmly analyze as much data as we can and then make a levelheaded prognosis, or do we blindly rush in? The answer is self-evident: Contrary to the example set by the eco-agitators, we should avoid letting passion and rhetoric take over the reins of science.
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04/25/13Republicans and Racism

BY: Armstrong Williams
Republicans and Racism
In the United States, if you’re a Republican, the left considers you a racist by default, almost no matter what you say or do. If you’re a Democrat, your colleagues on the right think you can say or do almost anything no matter how offensive, and get away with it, virtually guaranteed never to be called a racist.
I bet – and it’s crazy to have to think this way – that whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, when you read the paragraph above, you probably agreed with it. The Republican readers probably thought to themselves “How sad it is that my economic and social conservatism makes me a de facto racist;” and you Democratic readers probably thought, “Exactly!” “Republicans are all racist and I’m not and couldn’t possibly be.” So by now you’re wondering what exact point am I trying to make.
Tolerance or rather the lack thereof, is my point. By automatically labeling one whole segment of the political spectrum as racist, the left has attempted to delegitimize all conservative thought. It’s a red herring. Rather than listen to and consider the true merits or flaws of conservatism, especially in regards to how policies will affect minorities, every idea is labeled as racially insensitive and therefore, inherently bad. The virtue of tolerance demands that you check your prejudices at the door and consider the person and their beliefs based on their merits not on your potential biases. We ask that all people do this when dealing with someone of a different race or ethnic background, yet how quickly we forget to exercise the same ideawhen discussing politics.
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.
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04/24/13China and Japan, please pay attention

BY: Armstrong Williams
China and Japan, please pay attention
Tensions between China and Japan have increased nearly to the boiling point this past week. The simmering dispute is over a few rather insignificant Islands in the sea that separates. This dispute is escalating to new levels as China threatens to invade Islands Japan has occupied since 1972.
If China and Japan were to engage in even a minor altercation in the world's economic market place, everyone around the globe will be impacted. Both of these economic power houses have had setbacks in recent years but both are beginning to recover .
If the sea lanes between China, Japan, and the Korean peninsula become hostile territory and patrolled by Military vessels, whose captains trigger fingers are close to their ships weapons, a great deal of the world's international commerce which passes through this region will be significantly impacted. The international stock markets which we discovered yet again yesterday, reacts violently to rumors, let alone real news could drop the market precipitously . This will trigger hundreds of billions of dollars in losses to people's savings accounts and pension funds.
Just as the single shot in Sarajevo against the Arch Duke Ferdinand set off world war I, the flash point of these Islands also become the trigger to a much wider conflict, than just merely some dispute between China and Japan.
Secretary of State Kerry rather than embarrassing the United States on the Obama administration periodic apology tour, should be concentrating his time and efforts diffusing this dispute. The congress should question and perhaps hold hearings asking the Department of State what they are doing to act as an intermediary between these two Pacific super powers.
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04/23/13Why is Labor force participation rate so low?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Why is Labor force participation rate so low ?
Ten thousand baby boomers are retiring daily. You turn 66 and retire. These baby boomers are not being replaced at the same rate by new workers entering the workforce.
There are many discouraged workers who have been unemployed a long time and see the prospect for employment as not being promising. This could include working couples . One member is employed and the other decide it's not worth seeking a job . It includes students who decide to stay in school rather than work. It includes people who are working part time jobs but are not looking for full time employment. It also includes individuals who have been out of work for two years and no longer must show at the unemployment office to get their unemployment insurance.
People are more likely to enter the labor force when times are good rather than when times are bad.
This is the fifth year of this recession/anemic recovery. In my business career of 30 plus years I have never seen a period of economic pessimism as pervasive as it is today.
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04/22/13Liberty and Justice for all

BY: Armstrong Williams
Liberty and Justice for all
Recently someone asked me why do Blacks overwhelmingly support President Obama. My reply was simple. Historically blacks have been oppressed and have not felt as though any one in power represented them. President Obama represents to them an opportunity to identify in a positive way with the essence of power. Therefore they cannot separate the emotional and pride component from the enthusiastic support of the individual. This does not mean that blacks are unthinking or intellectually challenged when it comes to voting, rather it imply they are human beings as everyone else. They are subject to the same emotions and likely to react in the same ways.
Just look closely at the Jewish community and even today for the better part they keep their business within their community and many of the close higher tier executives they hire are also Jewish. Does that mean the Jewish community are prejudice or non thinking in terms of their hiring, association, and prideful practices? There may be some component of preference associated with the fact that people are more comfortable with those people and those things in which they are familiar. There is no reason to expect that many blacks would not react in the same way or any other ethic group. There are still a segment of White Americans who will only vote and hire whites in this nation for the same reasons. Many would term this racism while others see it as pride or voting for that which they are familiar with.
In many ways some feel that blacks should emulate the Jewish model of keeping and turning the dollar over in their own community at least a few times before it goes out into the larger community. This is in fact how wealth is built. As the wealth is built it is important for the beneficiaries to extend a hand up to those who made it possible for them to become wealthy.
All of this is not to justify preferential treatment or emotional voting but rather to explain it. We should still continue to work towards a color blind society with liberty and justice for all.
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04/19/13A Terrifying thought

BY: Armstrong Williams
A Terrifying thought
It is definitely feasible that Americans committed the bloody crime at the Boston marathon, especially when you consider their willingness to shoot innocent people in US movie theatres and elementary schools. If and only if the assassins turn out to be Americans, what is shocking is the apparent sophistication in carrying out the attack. Assembling the bombs, timing them to detonate near simultaneously, this indicates a level of sophistication that set it apart from run of the mill violent crimes committed in this country.
This may indicate the next phase in our fight against terrorists, rather than journeying from abroad to strike us, they may be our neighbors living right next door to us. This is truly a terrifying thought.

04/18/13Gun vote, the right vote

BY: Armstrong Williams
Gun vote, the right vote
Imagine a nation where the people have come to feel so victimized by gun violence that they give up trying to stop criminals. Imagine the President of the United States hauling in victims of gun violence on Air force One, using them as props for his misguided agenda. The already devastated family members from New town and across the country are the most easily identifiable emotional symbol of this administration, to pass gun legislation that will have no impact on the violence in the short or long run. To these frightened souls, it feels good to yell ad hominem attacks at Members of Congress after yesterday's vote . It feels good to vent their fears. Mainstream media, both TV and print, tell sad and compelling stories about how innocents are gunned down across our nation, to convince we the people that the solution is more gun control legislation.
Other people empathize with their stories. They too have seen the destruction that these weapons can wreak, and they’re fed up with the gun problem. The media manipulate them into blaming gun manufacturers and the NRA for funneling handguns into poor, urban and Suburban areas where they often end up in the hands of criminals. According to the liberal school of thought, negligent marketing by gun manufacturers is turning minority and now suburban communities into “war zones.”
These people feel as if they’re empowering themselves. In reality, they are merely embracing a sort of all-encompassing narrative that places the onus of responsibility for gun violence solely on gun manufacturers — as opposed to the criminals who are actually pulling the triggers.
That is not to say gun violence is not a serious problem. Plainly it is. But a bigger problem lies in an implicit message that the NRA, Republicans and gun manufacturers are responsible for gun violence, a message that we are all victims.
We should congratulate and commend the US Senator's last night, who had the courage to defy the President and political correctness to make a principle and courageous vote.

04/16/13How do we respond to terrorist ?

BY: Armstrong Williams
How do we respond to Terrorist
How do we achieve order following an unprecedented attack recently during the Boston Marathon ? Sometimes, we make ourselves feel more secure by attacking other tribes around us. This has been the way that humans have traditionally come to terms with their resentments. For the past 200 years, America has attempted something different. Rather than kill or convert those who are different from us, we have sought to secure their basic rights, then draw strength from our common humanity. Perhaps this is the best explanation as to why these attacks must be treated not as criminal assaults, but as acts of war against humanity. Accordingly, the United States must break from recent practice and assign blame not only to the individual terrorists, but to the anti-human governments that support, train and shield these zealots. Our freedoms make America an easy target for individual terrorists. Jail a few, more will follow. We must continue to obliterate the networks that nurture these organizations. This will involve more than an isolated strike. It will necessitate a world coalition dedicated to rooting out and destroying these insidious, anti-human terrorist groups. But, at home, there will be an equally important test: to avoid peddling broad ethnic hate; to avoid hurling rocks at mosques, or blaming Rightwing groups. This can be the only reaction from a nation grounded in the Bill of Rights. Our response must be that of a unified nation. We cannot allow fear to blacken our hearts or for hate to erode our common humanity. If we separate in anger and prejudice, than the terrorists will have won. I do not wish to give them such a victory.
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04/15/13Entrepreneurship

BY: Armstrong Williams
Entreprenuership
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career fields are booming, yet blacks are graduating fewer and fewer into these fields. They are not quick payoff careers, but are a clear path into the upper middle class or higher. Many students claim these fields are intimidating in their perceived difficulty, but is that more intimidating than a life of low paying, menial jobs?
But more visible mentors opening learning centers will only do so far if we do not encourage our children at home. In all other ethnic communities you can see parents and communities fostering kids’ interests in STEM and business. When I look around most of the black communities, I do not see any urgency to inspire kids in such disciplines, rather I see ridicule and disinterest and pressure to find that magic lottery ticket. Many of the businesses in the inner city and urban communities are dominated by Koreans, Asians, Chinese and families from the Caribbean. These family's are usually intact with a two parent house hold, education is essential, teenage pregnancy is rare, church is critical and they encourage and instill a culture of entrepreneurship in their children.
The pathologies that continue to erode the black family and community has to stop. We must take matters into our own hands and make a change. It is critical that African American congregations on Sunday's encourages their members towards entrepreneurship and ownership and discourage looking to the government and uncle Sam as their source of existence.

04/12/13Morality is the nucleus of all things

By: Armstrong Williams
Morality is the nucleus of all things
It does not matter what social institution, system, organization or cause- it will stand or fall based on the moral integrity of its members or the threat of coercion. I challenge you to come up with a third way of creating successful, safe interactions among members of the human race. Whether the system is small – i.e., a Craigslist transaction between two people who have never met before – or as large as the People’s Republic of China, every endeavor has to be embarked upon with a minimal expectation that all involved will act morally. Otherwise, the Hobbesian maxim that life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” would indeed be true. No one wants that kind of life. It follows, then, that the best way to ensure the survival of the human race is to perpetuate and strengthen the moral code that has allowed us to flourish thus far.

04/05/13Where are the Entrepreneurs in the Black Community?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Where are the Entrepreneurs in the Black Community ?
Conventional entrepreneurs are rare in the minority community. Many people who are intelligent and academically motivated are encouraged to join the learned profession or work for government and big business. Rarely does young African Americans are encouraged to start a small business or become entrepreneurs. As a result the number of African American businesses in black neighborhoods have significantly declined over the last 50 years. The number of African Americans involved in Silicon Valley start ups is minuscule. Why are there many Asian, Korean, Indian and Chinese entrepreneurs running small businesses in the African American community? Why are these same groups well represented in the startups of Silicon Valley ? There is something in the African American culture that does not encourage it's young to become entrepreneurs. Is it the family or the break down of traditional family ? Is it the weakening ties of religion ? Is it affirmative action which makes it less risky for young African Americans to look for jobs in big business, government, and the professions ? Is it the political leadership which encourages permanent dependency? Or is the victim mentality so prevalent that it demoralizes young people from taking risk ? This community needs to reassess and think seriously about what will encourage young people to become small business owners and entrepreneurs.
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04/04/13Rethinking Economics

BY: Armstrong Williams
Rethinking economics
We need to rethink economics. When most economist talk about stimulating the economy they refer to fiscal policy of spending and taxation; monetary policy including supply of money and interest rates; investment in capital ; and labor, including wage policy and training. I think economist need to broaden their vision. Culture is a key ingredient to economics. This goes back to Max Weber in "Protestantism and the spirit of capitalism". Weber recognize that certain cultural attributes promoted a strong economy. These included the postponement of gratification and concern for the future. In Western culture today we no longer are willing to postpone gratification. Gratification must be instant. With the breakdown of the family Westerners, including American's are less concerned about the economic impact of their current actions on future generations. These are cultural issues and not economic issues that impact the economy in very critical ways, including low saving rates; not investing in the future in such things as infrastructure and education. There is more spending on the older rather than the younger generation. Individuals are willing to trade individual responsibility and freedom for the siren song of government dependency and security.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

04/03/13Returning to the Virtuous path

BY: Armstrong Williams
Returning to the virtuous path
To all my fellow travelers along the road of life
who have at some point or another fallen asleep at the wheel,
to all those who woke up in time to avert disaster
and get back on the righteous path,
to those who crashed and survived,
and to those who now adhere vigilantly to a virtuous path
because they know it is only the price one pays
for true and lasting freedom. (From my book Reawakening Virtues).
Just spoke with SC former Governor Mark Sanford and congratulated him on his landslide victory last night in the Republican primary run off, for the 1st district of Charleston, SC. It is a blessing when "we the people" can look beyond an individuals fault and continue to see their good. I have known Mark for 25 years and can tell you emphatically that despite his past adulterous behavior, he's one of the finest and most gentle individuals I have ever known.
I too was given another chance in my profession after my controversial No Child Left Behind in 2004. Like Mark we all learn how to better humans and without a doubt our wisdom, judgement, and discernment grows exponentially. There are many lessons we can learn when we fall from grace and are blessed to find our way back through grace and mercy.
Just ecstatic that he won again and that any of us who have fallen or will fall know that there is always the possibility of redemption and greater success; if and only we critically self examine our choices, motives, and learn from our valley experience.

04/02/13Republicans and racism

BY: Armstrong Williams
Republicans and racism
In the United States, if you’re a Republican, the left considers you a racist by default, almost no matter what you say or do. If you’re a Democrat, your colleagues on the right think you can say or do almost anything – no matter how offensive – and get away with it, virtually guaranteed never to be called a racist.
I bet – and it’s crazy to have to think this way – that whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, as you read the above paragraph, you likely agreed with it. You Republican readers probably thought to yourselves, “You’re right. How sad that my economic and social conservatism makes me a de facto racist;” and you Democratic read- ers probably thought, “Exactly! Republicans are all racist and I’m not and couldn’t possibly be. Your point is?”
Tolerance, or rather the lack thereof, is my point. By automati- cally labeling one whole segment of the political spectrum as racist, the left has attempted to delegitimize all conservative thought. It’s a red herring. Rather than listen to and consider the true merits or flaws of conservatism, especially in regards to how policies will affect minorities, every idea is labeled as racially insensitive and therefore, inherently bad.
The virtue of tolerance demands that you check your prejudices at the door and consider the person and their beliefs based on their merits. We ask that all people do this when dealing with someone of a different race, yet how quickly we forget to exercise the same ideal when discussing politics.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

03/29/13Good Friday reflections

BY: Armstrong Williams
Good Friday reflections
As Christians, we feel comfortable with other Christians. We feel safety in worshipping together. We feel peace in socializing together. And we feel righteousness in standing against those who seek to bring moral and ethical decay to the culture of this nation. But is it enough to just stand together? Is it enough to just stand against? Should we not also, as Christ did, reach out to those who believe and behave differently from us? When was the last time you saw someone in desperation and extended your hand?
We should not make the mistake of thinking that those who believe and behave differently from us cannot be good people. It is too easy to say that those who believe as we do are good and those who believe otherwise are bad. That worldview, while convenient and expedient, is compassionless and ill conceived.
Christians must reach out to those who do not believe. We must provide an example that will inspire others to follow. We must see the good in others. We must condemn behavior and not people. We have nothing to fear in reaching out. Those who believe differently will not shake our beliefs. Those who act differently will not change our behavior. As long as we are grounded in faith, we can walk securely with anyone, anywhere.

03/28/13Progressive definitions

BY: Armstrong Williams
Progressive definitions
If we were to open up the New Progressive’s Dictionary and Thesaurus, you would probably see the following definitions:
Knuckle dragger- a Christian Conservative.
Racist- anyone that did not vote for Obama or even disagrees with an Obama administration policy.
Bigot- everyone in the GOP; also every Christian
Pro-life- Conservative codeword for justifiable misogyny
2nd Amendment Proponents- slack jawed yokels who hate children.
Intolerance- Anyone that believe something we do not.
Marriage- Monotheistic method of oppression against same sex couples, who will someday soon become the standard bearer of what a marriage should be.
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03/27/13Too much Government

BY: Armstrong Williams
Too much Government
One has to either make enough money that income taxes do not matter, find loopholes so one does not have to pay taxes, or become so poor that the government will throw every program and benefit available in the system.
Our system is now growing the class divide in a way that segregation never did. The rich get richer while the poor get poorer, and there is no room in between for those who want to make an honest living and live comfortably. We are split into a society of “haves” and “have-nots” like many living in the segregated South were split into whites and colored.
If we enable those in the lower-class to succeed through economic empowerment, we can enable those disenfranchised to build businesses and succeed as leaders in their community.

03/26/13The Challenges of Affordable Care

The challenges of affordable care
BY Armstrong Williams
One of the biggest challenges of the affordable care act is the fact is that it is not affordable. With each passing day more details are revealed in a 2500 page monstrosity that is a bureaucrats dream but a patients nightmare. The cost of insurance per family is suppose to drop significantly but instead has gone up by more than $2500 per family.
The number of physicians in a recent survey that are planning early retirement because of the affordable care act has risen to 60%. Not only is there an issue of money but there is also an issue of who is going to care for the additional 30 million people who have been placed on the societal rolls.
One of the major pillars of our current healthcare systems are insurance company's that profit by denying people care. This is a fundamental conflict of interest that has not been addressed in a meaningful way in the affordable care act. Unless we address these fundamental flaws we are truly just wasting time and money. Another glaring omission is tort reform, which was excluded because the trial lawyers association is a powerful lobby with great influence over the administration. The fear of malpractice suits leads to defensive medicine which drives the cost up for everyone in a very significant manner. Also medical malpractice lawsuits jog our legal system and negatively impact medical resources, which must spend time addressing cases which in the vast majority of instances are found to have no merit.
This will perhaps be the best example in history of how rampant out of control government bureaucracy can destroy a previously functional system. This is not to say that healthcare reform was not necessary, but needs to be done in a rational and efficient way and not just done for the sake of doing it. If we can learn that lesson perhaps the whole exercise may have been worthwhile.
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03/22/13It's time we demand greater accountability

The Beltway fat-cats must be held accountable for wasteful
BY: Armstrong Williams
Who are we kidding? The DC area has 6 of the 10 richest counties in America surrounding it. Most of these folks working in government or lobbying did not get rich looking out for the best interests of the American people; they got that way taking advantage of a system that promotes wasteful spending.
It’s time we demand greater accountability.
While both parties are out there pointing fingers at each other, we need to point fingers at them.
You don’t need to raise taxes or furlough employees, you simply need to look at yourselves and look at your pet agencies to see where pennies amounting to billions of dollars can be saved.
Just look at some of the projects where our government is spending millions of dollars.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), for example, just got a grant for $1.5 million to study why three-fourths of lesbians are obese and why gay males are not.
Their excuse? The NIH claims these issues are a “significant” threat to our public health.
The National Science Foundation just recently awarded a grant of $384,949 to Yale University for a study on “Sexual Conflict, Social Behavior and the Evolution of Waterfowl Genitalia.”
Believe it or not, the study met the criteria of the NSF panel of scientific peers as part of the grant approval process- all for studying the reproductive organs of ducks.
There is still an overwhelming amount of wasteful spending despite our best efforts to pinch pennies in government. It is time we the people demand a halt to this wasteful spending.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

03/21/13Wasteful spending

BY: Armstrong Williams
Wasteful spending
Who are we kidding? The DC area has 6 of the 10 richest counties in America surrounding it. These folks didn’t get rich looking out for the best interests of the American people, they got that way taking advantage of a system that promotes wasteful spending.
It’s time we demand greater accountability.
While both parties are out there pointing fingers at each other, we need to point fingers at them. You don’t need to raise taxes or furlough employees, you simply need to look at yourselves and look at your pet agencies to see where pennies amounting to billions of dollars can be saved.

03/20/13Harry Reed's shame

BY:Armstrong Williams
Harry Reid's shame
Yesterday a mortar shell explosion killed at least seven Marines during mountain warfare training in Nevada's high desert. What a sad tragedy and we must keep the family and loved ones who suffered loss in our thoughts and prayers.
It was shocking to hear Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid implying that the the marine training camp tragedy was connected with the Sequester. It is outrageous that Mr. Reid believes somehow if the sequester had not occurred, this loss of life would have never been possible. How pathetic that such an irresponsible statement could be made by the leader of the Senate, given that he is a key component of our nation's leadership. You can virtually guarantee that the main stream media will ignore this faux pas, which is a tragedy in and of itself. Reeds comments emboldens these fringe leaders to do irresponsible things and make irresponsible statements. He clearly recognizes that they can feed red meat to their extreme constituents and suffer no consequences.

03/19/13Sad Government waste

BY: Armstrong Williams
Sad Government Waste
With all the talk of Fiscal Cliff, Sequestration, the continuing resolution, and raising the debt ceiling (again); I’ve yet to hear any politician on either side of the aisle focus on government waste.
It is fact that both parties so egregiously waste money that they come to blows and hurt family paychecks when they could be looking at ways to save that would benefit everyone.
We have programs that are double, even triple funded to do the same thing. Why? Because some Congressman or Senator wants there name on a legacy project. I’ve talked to administrators that have begged Congressional staff to dissuade the passage of such redundant bills. They get told that the bill will be passed anyway because the Senator wants to tell his constituents that he did something about some cause or another. The result produces zero impact on the cause du jour and more millions down the toilet.
And then we have the much-ballyhooed “Congressional Squatters.” These are Congressmen that refuse to use the housing stipend they receive to rent a place in the DC area and instead pocket the money and sleep in their offices. They usually claim it’s to keep them in the mindset of serving the people, but what is does is show a penny wise and pound-foolish attitude. Due to these misers, Capitol Hill is forced to keep the heating, cooling, and electricity running 24/7 costing us taxpayers millions a year. They save themselves a few thousand by refusing to rent a crash pad with several other congressmen and cost the nation literally millions.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, LIVE 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

03/15/13Emulate Athlete's work ethic

BY: Armstrong Williams
Emulate Athlete's work ethic
Most people always envy athletes for their fame and money, but really they should envy their work ethic. Unlike many in society, they have to to earn their success based on their merits, they weren’t given anything.
Serena Williams is number one in the world again, becoming the oldest woman at age 31 in the history of tennis to do so.
That drive of athletes is why I still to some degree admire Lance Armstrong. Yes he did steroids and was a cheater, and even worse he sued people who he knew were telling the truth. But to recover from near death cancer, to have the belief and desire to think he could win a Tour de France, then to go out and train 15hours a day in the Texas heat, is pretty inhuman. Tiger Woods has said he practices for 14 hours a day, hitting balls, chipping, and putting again and again and again. The late Ed Bradley in a sixty minutes piece a few years ago described it as “A never ending quest for perfection.”

03/14/13Who is a conservative?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Who is a conservative ?
CPAC starts it's annual national meetings today. Many people see this event as a GOP convention, but conservatism should be present in all political party's. Conservatism has to do with preserving traditional values and there is no reason that Democrats, Libertarians, and Republicans shouldn't all recognize those values that have serve to promote freedom and equality in our society.
Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are all conservative values and their preservation should be the goal and priority of all Americans. It has everything to do with the American way of life and nothing to do with one's race or social status. When individuals attempt to inflame the American populace by emphasizing differences rather than proposing visionary goals behind which everyone can place their energy , it is destructive to these conservative values.
One of the greatest dangers facing America today is fiscal irresponsibility . One need not be a Republican to understand the implications of unfettered governmental expansion and resultant spending. One who fails to understand this has limited analytical capacity and we must all engage in a program to educate our fellow citizens.
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03/12/13Hero or Villain

BY: Armstrong Williams
Hero or Villain
Paul Ryan is the subject of much criticism because he is tainted as one who has no concern for the poor and the elderly. This is because he has advocated fiscal responsibility and curtailment of out of control entitlement spending. The real villain are those who continue too undermine financial stability of the nation and destroy the prospect of future generations for the American dream. When the financial structure of our nation collapses under the weight of unbearable debt, who will then be the villain? Those who try to warn us and put in place responsible fiscal policies or those who simply tell us the future will take care of itself. People such as Ryan are truly heroes, for they are willing to be criticize and sacrifice their own personal popularity for the sake of future generations.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

03/11/13Weaponizing a Nuclear device

BY: Armstrong Williams
Weaponizing a Nuclear device
I find it fascinating that every time North Korea, or the Iranians, continue to make progress on weaponizing a nuclear device, our leaders say, “Yeh, but they’re still years away from developing a bomb…”
Like that’s supposed to make me feel better? Pretty soon, the future becomes the present, and then what do we do? What’s with this attitude that something (or someone) will take care of our enemies’ hatred?
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 128, 6pm-7pm est and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.
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03/08/13Leveraging Debt

BY: Armstrong Williams
Leveraging Debt
When it comes to leverage – debt – it has to be managed very carefully. I believe that it should only be used when you have enough in reserve to cover defaults. People who are overleveraged – like those who bought property with low income and no down payment (equity) – are vulnerable to any shift in the market. If you are overleveraged, or get into a variable adjusted rate mortgage, you end up paying more for the property than necessary, and when things become difficult, you may find yourself in trouble, living way beyond your means.
These basic principles – the virtues of saving, work and thrift – must form the basic foundation of capitalism in this country again. And It’s something what we have to get back to in order to restore sanity to financial markets. It’s what we must reawaken in ourselves and everyone else if we want to re-establish America’s rightful place at the head of the table among the leading economies of the world.

03/01/13Cash Flow Challenges

BY: Armstrong Williams
Cash Flow Challenges
Are banks and state governments unwittingly colluding to prevent millions of Americans from being able to afford to pay their bills or profitably run their small businesses? Several pieces of economic data have raised serious questions about the ability of a whole subsection of Americans and small business owners to take the first steps toward building wealth — namely, lack of credit.
For many Americans, this will preclude their ability to meet short-term financial commitments let alone achieve long-term financial stability. What is driving these negative trends in consumer and business credit? It is the same banking regulators who are supposed to be looking out for and protecting consumers. In fact, the constriction of consumer credit is the product of banking regulators who have continued to add to the hurdles that banks must meet to make loans, including raising the banks` reserve requirements. As a result, it makes it nearly impossible for the banks to meet the credit needs of this growing population of Americans — nearly 100 million strong.
Imagine Americans with stagnant wages trying to meet their household financial obligations, save for college and even retirement. It is daunting even without access to credit. What about small business owners with declining revenues who should be driving job growth? Even in good times, they depend on their access to credit to manage their cash flow, cover operating expenses, meet payroll and — gasp — health care and other benefits. The non-bank financial sector may be the answer to the credit crisis. Although these non-traditional financial service companies have long been vilified, they provide critical access to much needed credit, as well as the only way millions of others can establish and build their credit.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

02/27/13Children under age 5, Identity Theft

BY Armstrong Williams
Children under age 5 years old, Identity Theft
Identity thieves will stop at nothing to pawn others identities for their own personal gain. But you know the newest trend in identity theft has reached an ultimate low when identity thieves start to target innocent children to advance their own personal gain.
Why are children being targeted for these crimes when they cannot even have driving records, credit scores, or criminal records you ask?
Criminals see clean-slate identities from others as a way to hide their own identities and sell them to stolen identity rings. Identity thieves will do this by stealing children’s social security numbers, birth certificates, and other information to decrease the likelihood that someone will challenge them on a stolen identity.
A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report released in March 2009 showed just how easy it is to forge birth certificates when an inspector was able to obtain four passports under a fake birth certificate each time. A criminal just has to forge a birth certificate under a child’s name and adjust the birthdate to make a new identity.
These criminals will go identity “dumpster-diving” through public birth and death records, newspaper announcements, and court documents to obtain this information. Once they have the information, they take a trip to the local Department of Motor Vehicles to use the fraudulently-gathered information as documentation that will enable them to obtain a state-issued driver’s license or non-driver ID card with the child’s name plastered upon an ID that shows an adult photo and age.
If we are to protect the integrity of our children and our nation as a whole, we need to crack down on identity fraud and make it harder for criminals to misrepresent the most vulnerable in our population.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

02/26/13Blind loyalty to political party's

BY: Armstrong Williams
Blind loyalty to political party's
People who are unaffiliated with a political party, rather than being people who are indecisive, are actually people who demonstrate the ability to think for themselves. Anyone who is blindly loyal to the platform of a political party has given up their God given right to exercise their independent thought processes. They degrade their own worth.
If we are to solve the massive economic problems facing our nation we will need innovative independent thinkers from all walks of life. They can contribute to solutions that will eventually benefit all of us, rather than blindly following the dictates of a political power structure that is only interested in it's own self aggrandizement.
"We the People" need to awaken to the sad fact that our nation is being exploited by both political power structures. They pass laws that apply to the masses and not themselves. They become adolescents and point fingers when this nation face devastating challenges and cries out for principle leadership. They manipulate the American people with lies, rhetoric, deceit and continuously to exploit the ignorance and lack of understanding of the people who elected them. How is it possible that the best and brightest in the Executive and Legislative Branch of our Government, can't find common sense solutions on the critical issues that confront us today ? We need to focus less on electing the intellectual and Ivy League elite of our nation and return farmers, factory workers, carpenters, Teachers, Law Enforcement, and Military leaders to the highest offices of the land. When electing the individuals that our Congress envision during our founding, we will return a modicum of common sense and true leadership to our nation. When this happens, then and only then will America return to the pinnacle of spiritual and economic success.
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02/25/13Why the Sequestration needs to happen

BY: Armstrong Williams
Why the Sequestration needs to happen.
The GOP in congress have already lost three rounds of the fight for a balance budget. In December they agreed to raise taxes with no "quid pro quo". Later in 2013 they agreed to suspend the debt ceiling and finally they delayed the sequestration until March. Unfortunately as is usually the case with President Obama, the Republicans got nothing in exchange for compromising their fiscal principles.
In round 4 they are now being ask to eliminate the sequestration cuts, to once again kick the can down the road and address this serious matter later in the year. Unfortunately the strategy of kicking the can down the road does not solve our deficit problem. In fact it make matters much worst. America would be in a much better bargaining position if the Republican allowed the sequester cuts to occur. It`s easier for elected officials to add spending than to cut spending. After the cuts occur let President Obama convince Americans that we need to increase the deficit. That is a much more difficult burden when the federal government has just had four trillion dollar deficits and no fiscal balance in sight.
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02/22/13Young people must develop work ethic

BY: Armstrong Williams Young people must establish work ethic early in life Young people need to learn to work. Their parents must not let them be idle all year for, as they say, idle hands are the devil's workshop. When I was growing up, it was early to bed, early to rise. My family worked hard, every one of us, starting even before the sun rose. Sure, I wanted to rest many times, but my parents wouldn't let me until our work was done. They needed a rest more than anybody. They taught by example and instilled in us a strong work ethnic. Today, many parents fail to provide that example. Now, I am not saying that young children should be put to work. We do not want a return to a time before child labor laws went into effect. Little children need and deserve their playtime. We should not take away their childhood. But once they reach a certain age, they must realize that it is time to accept a certain degree of maturity and responsibility, part of which involves going to work. Whether it is flipping burgers at McDonald's, delivering newspapers, washing cars, cutting lawns, or walking dogs, as long as they are working, they stay out of trouble, they learn better how to interact with adults. Plus, they get to make a little money. The trouble is, many young people today want something for nothing. They don't want to have to work for anything. They expect to be handed everything, and many parents often give in to their demands. What those parents should do instead is to force their sons and daughters to see the value of hard work. Being handed everything diminishes the value of everything. The rewards are much greater when you have to work for them. When you work for something you feel a real sense of worth, both in yourself and in the object or goal you are trying to reach.

02/21/13Scape goating gun Manufacturers

BY: Armstrong Williams
Gun Manufacturers are scape goats
Imagine a city where the citizens have come to feel so victimized by gun violence that they give up trying to stop criminals. Instead, they choose the most easily identifiable symbol of their problem - gun manufacturers - and start yelling at them. To these frightened souls, it feels good to yell at gun manufacturers. It feels good to vent their fears. A Mainstream media both TV and Print are now telling sad and compelling stories about how innocent citizens are gunned down across our nation, to convince we the people that the solution is more gun control legislation.
Other citizens empathize with their stories. They too have seen the destruction that these weapons can wreak and they're fed up with the gun problem. The media manipulates them into blaming gun manufacturers for funneling handguns into poor, urban areas where they often end up in the hands of criminals. According to the liberal school of thought, negligent marketing by gun manufacturers is turning minority communities into "war zones."
These citizens feel as if they're empowering themselves. In reality, they are merely embracing some sort of all-encompassing truth that places the onus of responsibility for gun violence solely on gun manufacturers, as opposed to the criminals who are actually pulling the triggers.
That is not to say gun violence is not a serious problem. Plainly it is. However a bigger problem lies in an implicit message that gun manufacturers are responsible for gun violence. We are all victims. Not victims of hardened criminals who stalk our streets, but rather victims of gun manufacturers. Such a viewpoint places the emphasis on social retribution, rather than individual responsibility. Get it? The gun manufacturers are being blamed for the harsh acts of criminals.
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02/20/13Immigration and a nation of laws

BY: Armstrong Williams
Immigration and a nation of laws
I’ve heard the argument that we must choose between giving illegals a free ticket or risk shutting down the economy. This is just not true. It’s a false choice to argue that we either give illegals a free ticket here in the US, or force the economy to shut down. First of all, an argument can be made that illegals drain the economy as much as they stimulate it. Secondly, claiming that Americans will not perform certain cheap labor is both erroneous and insulting. Americans have a vast history of performing hard work for low pay and there’s no proof that they wouldn’t continue that tendency today. Furthermore, this claim insults both the American (you’re a fat cat) and the undocumented worker (you’re not worthy of a real job). Merely talking about this aspect of the immigration debate encourages racism, bigotry, and a return to a class society.
No one with half a heart wants to separate families, but this is a nation of laws, not of feel-good policies. Without a solid system in place, nobody will respect the law. And the problems stemming from illegal immigration today are a perfect example of why we create and enforce tough laws. The reality is that under proposed legislation put forth by republicans, illegals will eventually be able to reunite with their family in the US. After an illegal comes forth, documents their work, pays a fine, and returns to their country, they will be able to legally come back to America to work and join their family. This legislation will improve national security, give relief to tax payers, and ensure that immigrants truly become part of American society.
Once new immigration laws take effect and undocumented workers are accounted for or return to their home country we can get down to the root of the problem: keeping track of who enters this country. If we are going to get serious about immigration in this country and truly address the problems surrounding it, we must monitor who enters this country legally and illegally. We should all be able to agree on that! Border security does not mean that Americans are anti-immigration – any educated American knows that immigrants founded this country – it simply means that for security, economic, and health reasons, we must know who lives within our borders.
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02/19/13Government meddling with disastrous results

BY: Armstrong Williams
Government meddling with disastrous results
The Obama administration has a new solution to address very high unemployment in the American Black community. They intend to bring lawsuits against company`s that refuse to hire individuals with criminal records. Since a disproportionately high number of this population are black Americans, this policy should improve their employment challenges. However it is just as likely to make it worst, because no one would want to interview someone with a criminal record for fear of being accused of not hiring because of their criminal background .
This is another example of government meddling . These attempts to control the lives and actions of society, are not consistent with the spirit of our constitution . This administration has cease upon the fact that it can get away with virtually everything. This is because the watch dog media has turned into the lap dog media. They are willing to endorse or ignore egregious actions by their idol, President Obama.
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02/15/13Forget the fiscal cliff

BY: Armstrong Williams
Forget the fiscal cliff
President Obama wants more spending—29 programs, in fact—but he says it won’t cost a dime. That must mean he wants to raise taxes. So much for the fiscal cliff deal. The consensus on the Hill is that they are “done” with taxes, at least until well after the Three Crises—sequestration, continuing resolution, and debt ceiling. All tax bills on the House side have been essentially tabled for now. But the President speaks as if he hadn’t just raised taxes on the wealthy, and, in the White House’s own words, imposed “the most progressive tax code in decades.” Now he wants to chase the rich out of our country some more. There goes investment in the economy, there goes entrepreneurship, there goes charitable donations.
Williams is live Monday - Friday on Sirius XM 128, 6pm-7-pm est. Read him Monday's in the Washington Times.

02/13/13Obama's Fundamental change

BY: Armstrong Williams
Obama`s Fundamental Change ?
​Is change always good? Some change is good, certainly. The entire history of science and technology is one of accumulated knowledge. But in other aspects of life—philosophy, religion, culture—things are not always getting better. Progress is not inevitable; it takes work. Liberty is always only one generation away from extinction, as President Reagan said.
We have the largest national debt of any nation in the history of mankind. That’s certainly a change from the booming postwar years, in which we became the wealthiest and fastest-growing nation in the history of mankind. What a change a generation makes.
Even our most basic institutions are changing.
And so we are becoming Europe not only in our inability to pay our debts, but also in our ability to defend ourselves. As Justice Scalia has lamented, this is quickly becoming a country I do not recognize, and, sadly, change is coming in increasingly negative ways. Greece is a small country: its implosion is only a fraction of what the American implosion will look like. We’re not entitled to high national self-esteem. We need to be honest about the direction of this country, and reverse course where necessary.
In other words, we need change.
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02/12/13Responsible Healthcare

BY: Armstrong Williams
Responsible Healthcare
HSA's (Health Savings Accounts) are an extremely good idea, for they place responsibility for an individual health in that individuals hand. The money that is place in the HSA stays there and can only be used for the legitimate medical purpose. It can accumulate over a lifetime and you should be able to transfer your entire account at the time of death. It would teach the owners to shop for healthcare efficiently rather than simply assuming that some third party is going to take care of the expenses . It will force the providers of healthcare to enter the free market arena and provide competitive pricing. This will of course drive down the cost of healthcare and will greatly reduce the amount of traffic in emergency rooms , which are very expensive. It will quickly become an anathema with anyone with an HSA. The beneficiaries will be local clinics and local practitioners who are much better equipped to provide on going and preventive health care.
For the indigent and disable who are already on government dole, the same money that is used to support their healthcare needs now can be divided and shifted to their HSA. It will be necessary too devise incentives for those who are not indigent to contribute to their own HSA. It will also be necessary to provide incentives for employers to contribute to the HSA of their employees. These are the basic tenants of an effective HSA system. The details should be worked out in a bipartisan manner so that their is total buy in by everyone.
This will also necessitate finding other mechanisms to address catastrophic healthcare, which can also be addressed in a logical fashion without expanding the tax burden or other bureaucratic entities.
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02/11/13Dr. Ben Carson's tithing wisdom

BY: Armstrong Williams
Dr. Ben Carson tithing wisdom
I was intrigue with the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins University, Dr. Ben Carson's perspective on Tithing and our tax system during his recent address at the National Prayer Breakfast..
The reason that tithing is such a fair way to tax people is because it's proportional. As soon as you move away from proportional taxing, ideology takes over. As a result ideology is quite frankly arbitrary and depends upon the flavor of the month. A growing number of people seriously think that the rich should pay more, while some feel they should pay less. When you introduce the tithing concepts of proportionality all of those arguments disappear immediately. One could legitimately make the argument that if the top one percent pay 37% of the income taxes and the top 5% pay 59%, this clearly demonstrates their tax base should be lower. The top 5% don't make 59% of the income and yet they pay 59% of the taxes. Therefore it is simple and fair to make the argument that they are being over tax. One could delve into all types of arguments depending on their ideology and that is why simplification is the only true and fair solution.
Tithing represents 10% of one's increase . A proportional tax system does not have to reside at 10%. It can be higher or lower depending on the needs of the government. Because it would be applied proportionally to the entire population, the government would be unlikely to raise taxes to a very high level, for it would effect everyone and not just a small group of voters. This is a clear advantage of a proportional tax rate where everyone participates. Again a logical analysis of a system where 50% of the people pay no income taxes, but are allowed to vote to make the other people pay more taxes, makes absolutely no sense. If one goes back and analyze not only tithing but many of the principles advocated in the Bible, I think they can rediscover what true fairness is.
I also strongly encourage you to read more about Dr. Ben Carson, especially his latest NY Times best selling book "America the Beautiful".
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02/08/13Pointless Make work

BY: Armstrong Williams
Pointless makework
A nuclear Iran and an America $136 trillion in debt makes anything else into pointless makework. If you turned on your television, you might think that the biggest issue facing our country is 20-year olds stealing their mothers’ guns, or illegal immigration, as if we have never had these problems ever before, and as if they are destroying our country. They are neither new, nor are they going away, no matter if we, as a woman suggests in All Quiet on the Western Front, cut off boys’ trigger fingers, or put up a gigantic fence around the entire continent. As for their consequences, they pale, along with just about everything else in the entire world, in comparison with even a fraction of our debt, or with even one nuclear bomb in Persian hands.
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02/07/13Strom Thurmond's mix race daughter passing

BY: Armstrong Williams
Strom Thurmond's mix race daughter passing
People die, but the truth lives and breathes freely on its own.
We now mourn the passing of 87-year old Essie Mae Washington-Williams, who in December 2003 confirmed one of the oldest rumors of Southern political folklore: that she was the mixed-race daughter of former US Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC).
Now that Mrs. Essie Mae has passed on there will be a few days of dissecting their relationship again and reminding the public that the Senator was ashamed of his daughter. But this was not the case.
In a conversation I had with Mrs. Williams years ago, she told me how they finally bonded before his death in 2003. Mrs. Williams’ passing is more about her legacy with her children, grandchildren, and her larger community, than about her being the mixed-race child of legendary South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond. While the media continue making the connection between the two, let us also resolve to tell the public about her life beyond her famous father: Essie Mae Williams was a well-educated leader, organizer, philanthropist, strategist, and servant of God her entire life.
Many of us were aware of her struggles with illness for a long time. Finally, she has found peace, and her legacy will endure will her family and the many lives she touched along the way.
Williams did not make any financial claims on theThurmond estate. "We are not looking for money. We are merely seeking closure by way of the truth for Essie Mae Washington-Williams," said her attorney, Frank Wheaton,to The Washington Post. After nearly eight decades of subverting certain basic and essential facts about her identity, it seems that Williams at the time wished only to be honest with herself—and with society, for that matter—about who she was.
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.
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02/06/13Learning through images

BY: Armstrong Williams
Learning through images
No longer do we learn through subject and verb, but rather through a verbal hybrid of images and slogans designed to spare us the rigors of closely examining issues for ourselves.
Our preoccupation with television imagery has helped make this generation curiously artificial and particularly susceptible to the counterfeit. Essayist Michael J Arlen has called it "The tyranny of the visual." And countless other critics have lamented about the perils of images supplanting words in this culture.
It has also made us susceptible to a new kind of intellectual deficiency. Television images have become remarkably successful at distilling complex issues into the broadest and most knee-jerk dimensions. This is particularly true of political programming, which has perfected the rapid fire style of discourse that leaves little time for thoughtful analysis.
We are constantly bombarded with images that reduce complex issues of our economy into the most easily identifiable symbols. These images condition us to make immediate visual connections: Republican equals evil and liberal equals what is good for the nation. Television isn't reality. Its reality personified. Black, white, Hispanic, Republican, Democrat-they're all distilled into the most easily digestible image.
And a public that has grown up learning more through images than words just swallows it whole, then spits it back at one another in a passive form of intolerance and condemnation -the sort that leads us to visually sum people up without ever bothering to listen to what hey might actually have to say.
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02/01/13Why are we surprise

BY: Armstrong Williams
Why are we surprise ?
Our Liberal media and academic economist are feigning surprise at the decline of economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2012. One does not need a PHD and Nobel Prize in economics to see the obvious drag on the economy during the fourth quarter and the present first quarter of 2013.
The decline in GDP for the fourth quarter of 2012 should not have been a surprise. Businesses and consumers were facing the uncertainty of the fiscal cliff. As a result businesses and consumers spent less than they may have otherwise have spent. The impending 2013 tax increases also muted 2012 spending. The government spending declined in their fourth quarter as well, especially for states and local government that had run out of federal stimulus money. The only perverse benefit to spending in the fourth quarter, were high net worth and high income individuals who accelerated 2013 income into the fourth quarter of 2012 in order to avoid the 2013 tax increases.
Do not expect 2013 first quarter to be robust. As noted above wealthy individuals transferred their 2013 income to 2012. There is a two percent social security tax increase on all wages below $110,000.00, which will reduce consumer spending. There is the effective 9 percent income tax increase on wealthy individuals which will reduce spending by wealthy individuals even more than that of the middle class, subject to the two percent tax increase.
The true cost of Obamacare is just beginning to kick in with imposing higher premium cost on businesses and individuals.
Congress is yet to address the structural economic issues holding back the US economy. As a matter of fact it has kicked the can down the road two or three months without any realistic solution in sight. America can expect anemic economic and employment growth for the foreseeable future.
ps. That is my optimistic point of view.
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01/31/13Civil Rights 2013: Invisible to Victimized

BY: Armstrong Williams
Civil Rights 2013. From invisible to victimized
The civil rights movement was born out of an intense struggle to enjoy those basic human rights we associate with happiness. Early leaders of the movement settled on the theory that American society was primarily characterized by racism and that American institutions were grounded in the maintenance of racial privilege. Many of the black politicians who swept into office on the heels of the movement consciously embodied this organizing principle. Their legislative remedies were predicated on the belief that the problems of black people, whether its high crime rates, drug use, poor educational performance, were, primarily, if not entirely, the result of white racism. Their obligation was to promote and protect their constituents by offering remedies to specific aspects of racial discrimination (i.e., segregated schools, disparity in pay, public accommodations, etc.) In other words, they wed their legitimacy to the belief that all the problems confronting blacks were rooted in racism.
To this day, many black officeholders depend on the perception of on-going, widespread racism in order to remain competitive in the electoral process. They underplay the dramatic improvements in economic and social status experienced by blacks over the last 40 years. Large numbers of their constituents, particularly those who came to age during the overt racism of the past half century, continue to believe that the problems confronting the black lower class stem primarily from racism.
Herein lies the greatest missed opportunity of the civil rights movement. They never prepared for the day when the hand of God moved the conscious of a nation and many whites joined the spiritual movement to start treating minorities as equals. Their entire public image, their very legitimacy as political and cultural spokespersons--was predicated on the rhetoric of a black versus white war. As my mentor Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas once observed, the [civil rights] revolution missed a larger point by merely changing the status [of minorities] from invisible to victimized.
Tragically, this point was also missed by the pop culture, which glorifies images of black misogyny, violence and victimization. We hold up gansta rappers as models of achievement. Hey, they’re just keeping it real we say. Meanwhile our children stare at these sociopath's with adoring eyes. They emulate their mean sense of entitlement, their broken English, and their violence, because this is what the popular culture tells us it means to be black.
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01/30/13Logical conclusions

BY: Armstrong Williams
Logical conclusions
Obamacare is supposedly the panacea to cure rapidly rising healthcare cost and lack of access for millions of uninsured Americans. It's continuing to prove just the opposite with healthcare cost rising in many cases quite dramatic. This has forced several businesses to reconsider whether they will offer health care coverage or accept the penalty, which in many cases is less expensive than offering the healthcare coverage. The other solution that many businesses are adopting is cutting workers to less than 30 hours which is the trigger for requiring healthcare coverage. In the long run this mean that people will have less access and for those that do, the cost will be increased . Yet millions of people will listen to the mainstream media and the administration and continue to conclude that they have hit the healthcare lottery. This is a prime example of what happens when partisan politics and bias media are allowed to run rampant.
Continuing the theme of bias media, yesterday Senator Mary Landrieu stated that there is no federal discretionary spending problem. But rather the problem was fox news trying to convince the electorate that there was a problem. President Obama basically stated the same a few days earlier. One would need to have a severe case of brain freeze not to realize that we face a serious crisis with federal spending. For Mr. Obama to say that we don't, is like listening to someone tell you while in the middle of a blizzard, that it's a warm sunny day. If you believe that, you are foolish and this administration depends on people who are unable to make logical conclusions in the face of obvious evidence.
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01/29/13One size does not fit all

BY: Armstrong Williams
One size does not fit all
Some states have suggested that welfare benefits be tied to the academic performance of school age children. On the surface this sounds like a very good idea, for it make parents more responsible in terms of getting the children to school and monitoring their performances. However one must consider that some parents are completely devoid of reason due to alcoholism, drug addiction, or personality disorders. So is it fair to make the entire family suffer because of such individuals? Additionally some children are not intellectually gifted. They have a difficult time barely managing any type of adequate academic performance. Fortunately such children are few and far between but they do exist. Therefore if one were to implement such a program it could only be done after interviewing and assessing each family individually.
This conversation illustrates the serious problems with cookie cutter solutions. We must learn how to use computer technology and many other sources of information gathering to craft policies that work for diverse societies. Otherwise we will continually develop policies that generally want work in the long run.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

01/24/13Annihilate the GOP and American Exceptionalism

BY: Armstrong Williams
Obama's agenda. Annihilate the GOP and American Exceptionalism.
Speaker John Boehner is spot on in concluding that president's Obama ultimate goal is to annihilate the Republican party. Obama has no intentions of reaching across the aisle and incorrectly assumes that the American people are so misinformed regarding the critical issues, that they will gladly support his warp and diabolical agenda. When will the American people stop listening to Obama and his mainstream media public relations machine and finally weigh the consequences of is extreme Liberal position. This president at every opportunity tries his best to dismantle the idea of American exceptionalism.
The President has derided American exceptionalism throughout his—I admit—very brief but transforming political career.
The relativism of his position notwithstanding, he fails to understand what makes us exceptional. America has been different for decades: unlike the rest of the developed world, we had freedom, we were a religious people, we were a hard-working people. No government dared to disarm us. But now we are freely casting away those freedoms that made us different, better than other merely developed nations. The President’s skepticism about American exceptionalism is self-fulfilling and it’s the President who is skeptical about it.
He plunders our wealth; he wants us disarmed. He takes away our right to practice our religion. This is madness, and it must stop. And so it was bittersweet as I attended and watch as he was inaugurated for a second term: It was clear from his address that he has no desire of moving from his left wing base of supporters. What his election indicates is something I love about this country—tolerance—but what he has pledged to do to our country is take away so much that makes us great.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

01/23/13Media's contribution to the degeneration of society

BY: Armstrong Williams
Media's contribution to the degeneration of society.
Many have noted that are our society is in decline. Many, including President Obama bristle at that notion, but an honest appraisal of the situation would certainly demonstrate otherwise. There was a time when every program that ended on TV, was punctuated by the seal of good practice. This meant that there was uplifting and moral content in the programming. That disappeared decades ago. There is no longer any attempt to elevate the thinking of American society. In fact the media seems engaged in an attempt to neutralize morality and to impose "Hollywood Morality". In Hollywood it is quite acceptable to swap wives, have multiple marriage partners, and multiple sexual partners outside of marriage. Drug culture is glorified. Excessive spending is idolized by that group, while demonizing the same spending by the Wall Street crowd. Unfortunately the Main stream news media has joined in with the entertainment media to destroy the moral fiber of our nation. They are however doing it unwittingly simply desiring to be popular and failing to realize the destructive nature of their folly.
It is not however too late for reclaiming the tenants of faith and morality that propelled this nation to the pinnacle of success in record time. It is not too late in fact to be one nation under God. Unfortunately unless we have appropriate leadership this will not occur and we will continue the inexorably decline has characterized every other pinnacle nation before us.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

01/22/13Justifying the spending addiction

BY: Armstrong Williams
Justifying the spending addiction
Republican leaders should—and I’m confident that they will—take a principle position to save our nation from further bankruptcy, which is what a rational populace would call our situation. The president knows only the blame game; he doesn’t know about accepting responsibility. Someone has to step up and take on the role of grownup: don’t count on it being Obama. In his four total years in the Senate, he (along with Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Charles Schumer, Patty Murray, and, oh yeah, Joe Biden) opposed raising the debt ceiling, and now as president viciously demagogues those who do the same thing he did in 2007. He is shameless.
It is characteristic of addiction that the addict tries to justify his actions. If they do not make sense, then he will come up with equally nonsensical rationalizations. And so his pathology spreads throughout his entire psyche, as each error must be rationalized by another, and another, and another.
Right now, the per capital debt in America is greater than the per capita debt in Greece. We have seen the Greek spending addicts, their rioting, their protests, their descent into permanent indigence. We have seen this, and yet we will not repent. Sounds like the addict to me.
How can we be so cruel to the most innocent of all, the children? As we mark the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (and 50 million legally murdered as a result), it’s obvious that our cruelty to our children, both in killing them or in saddling them with our debts, is a result of the same rex malorum, cupiditas. May God have mercy on this country.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

01/16/13A Democracy under siege

BY: Armstrong Williams
A Democracy under siege
Our President has unilaterally decided that he can rearrange the separation of powers, by simply ignoring the powers and authority of the Legislative and Judicial branch of our government. This would normally be impossible because the outcry would be tremendous. However in the case of Emperor Obama anything that he decides to do is sanction by the left wing media, who are supposed to be the watch dogs of a free society. Instead they have become the lap dogs of an impending dictatorship. The people are too preoccupied trying to survive a dismal economy to pay attention to the erosion of what once was, the most admired governmental structure in the world. While the pillars of a free Democratic society crumble we can only hope and pray that resposible elements of society will continue to protest and provide valuable alternatives to a desperate situation that has been witnessed on the world stage many times before.
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01/15/13The courage to be blame

BY: Armstrong Williams
The courage to be blame
Yesterday during Obama's press conference he once again threw down the gauntlet to Republicans, emphasizing discussions of spending cuts during the debt ceiling debate were not going to be addressed. He also made it clear that if the Republicans tried making it an issue, they would be responsible for Veterans and social security recipients not getting there checks, and more financial turmoil. As with the fiscal cliff debate he his hoping that the Republicans will be frightened into submission and they will forget the fact that he also bears responsibility for any fiscal consequences that will probably ensue. Because of the allegiance of the main stream media to the president he feels he can always set the agenda and control the narrative, therefore veracity is not necessary. The only true way to defend the American people and our way of life is for those who oppose Mr. Obma's policies of limitless spending, is to forget about the consequences of being blame. In fact you will already be blame so why not simply state that you'll be blame and take a principle position to save our nation from further bankruptcy. The president is an adept expert at the blame game and is extremely inept at accepting any responsibility. If our country is going to be saved soon, someone has to step up and take on the role of grownup. It is very unlikely that person will be someone that stated as a Senator in 2007, raising the debt ceiling was irresponsible and as president in 2013 states not raising it is irresponsible.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

01/14/13The Government House always wins

BY: Armstrong Williams
The Government House always wins
The President is not a socialist. However, he is a statist. The current term for this is crony capitalism. He does not want the state to own the means of production and the assets in economy, but he wants the state to control the economy indirectly, through regulation for the benefit of the “friends” of the state: the private sector still owns businesses and assumes business risks, but the government tells individuals and businesses who to hire, what to pay, what to make, how to invest, and how much to pay the government in tribute for its “protection.” Much like in a casino, the house always wins. The government plays with house money, and there’s just no competing with that. This, in turn, has an unsubtle impact on the way the government is run and the policies that are implemented, as the cronies’ special treatment is reinforced with their success.
​What do progressives do when a government program fails? Add on another program. Modify the program. Expand it. No one punishes a government program with spending cuts. Bad programs get more money, so each program is incentivized to fail, much as welfare recipients are paid to fail. If they succeed, the money is cut off.
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01/11/13The Art of Compromise

BY: Armstrong Williams
The Art of Compromise
It is good that our nation is engaging in a necessary discussion on the importance of curbing gun violence. It is critical to realize that there is no single solution and all sides will need to give in . If we can't reach an agreement on an issue as fundamental as this, we may have reached a point in our nation where we will never agree on anything. That would indeed be tragic. This debate provides a wonderful opportunity to understand the art of compromise. We must first realize what is important to both sides. The gun lobbyist are concerned about the second amendment and fear an over reaching and more powerful government that could more easily become a dictatorship if the populace is disarmed. The other side is most concerned about unbalanced or angry people having possession of dangerous weapons. Is there a solution in satisfying all legitimate concerns ? Legislation that is crafted must decrease the number of dangerous weapons, while protecting the right to own and bear arms for ordinary citizens. As long as those involved in crafting the legislation understands that it must address both issues, we will have an opportunity for a meaningful solution. This is a model that we should adopt with all the pressing issues that we face today.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

01/03/13Universal Healthcare vs Universal control

BY: Armstrong Williams
Universal Healthcare vs Universal Control
Obamacare is the official the law of the land . We will now begin the process of unmasking many of the cost, hidden deeply within this massive bill. A decade from now there will be significant buyers remorse. The cost will effect not only consumers but the healthcare providers as well. There is no such thing as a free lunch and that without a doubt includes healthcare as . Either the quality of care must decrease significantly for the masses or the availability of care must decrease drastically. The most important thing in this life that we possess is our health. President Obama clearly recognizes this and also knows that if he can control access to healthcare, he can ultimately control the larger society. So the real emphasis is not universal healthcare, but rather universal control. The amount of resources required to obtain this goal at a level that Americans are accustomed to is staggering and will continue to balloon the deficit.
To make sure that the populous isn't alarmed the cost has been sprinkled throughout the bill with the hope that most us will not notice the gradually tightening financial noose. The larger question remains whether the people are wise and informed enough to enact the kinds of changes in leadership that will save our way of life. It is possible that it is already too late and that the majority of the populous has completely lost perspective and is only concerned about their own selfish desires.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

12/27/12Discover common ground to save us

Thursday, December 27
BY: Armstrong Williams
Discover common ground to save our country
I am a constitutional conservative I have strong beliefs about the role of government, and cures for societal ills, but there are certain issues I am sure people of opposite views can agree with me upon. We are sixteen trillion in debt, isn’t that outrageous? Do the mass majority of people believe the debt and spending levels we have now are sustainable and smart policy?Didn’t Bill Clinton campaign against the deficits run in the1980’s and implement a balanced budget? Didn’t Dwight Eisenhower, a moderate, enact The Interstate Highway Act that helped create millions of new jobs successfully?
As Americans we need to rise above the political parties language and thought, and talk to one another about our views. We might discover common ground that will move America forward. Our members don’t do this anymore as Trent Lott pointed out, and that is why the country is suffering. We can’t let the political parties separate us, or else America will be in peril, we must stand up and talk to one another.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

12/26/12Celebrate the rich of our nation

Wednesday, December 26
BY: Armstrong Williams
Celebrate the rich of our nation
Governor O‘Malley in Maryland put in a millionaires tax a few years ago, and they got less revenue. The rich people moved, and found loopholes. We need to encourage economic freedom so this wealth can spread around, not by force of government, but by the free market, and the natural human instinct to better his situation.
Wealth at the top is a good thing, it means our nation is doing something right, in that it is letting entrepreneurs have the freedom to take risk and create good paying jobs for the rest of us. Every year heritage releases a list of rankings of the most economically free countries in the entire world. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia are the first three, while Canada issixth; Ireland is ninth and the United States ranks tenth. The bottom of the list has countries like Zimbabwe, Angola, North Korea and Cuba. Which countries would you rather live in? Things like the wealth tax are dropping the United States on the list. This is not the old days were a rich person in New York could just move to Florida, we are dealing with an entirely global economy at this point, and these wealthy people will move out permanently. They will go where the taxes are the lowest, and the regulations are less intrusive.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

12/25/12Christmas has lost its meaning

Tuesday, December 25
BY: Armstrong Williams
Christmas has lost its real meaning
Jesus Christ was easily the best gift this world has ever scene. His birth and death freed believers from the burden of sin – past, present, and future. This life is difficult enough as it is and without Christ’s gift of forgiveness, times like these would darn near be impossible to navigate. Thankfully though, Christ was given to this world to release it from its very evils - one of which is our obsession with possessions.
Somewhere along the way Christmas became a Hollywood holiday. It became about gifts and gadgets instead of faith and family. Christmas lost its real meaning when we became enamored with the idea of presents. The day became about giving and getting the perfect present and counting our blessings based on the things we own. It has warped into a season of stress – both financial and emotional – and has brought billions of people around the world more strain and loneliness than any other day of the year. How sad that we have taken the greatest gift of all and either turned it into, or let it be turned into, a burden on ourselves, our faith, and our families.
The birth of Christ occurred during a time of economic unrest. Ironically, Mary and Joseph faced many of the same problems that so many Americans are facing today. Housing, travel, and work situations were cause for fear and frustration then, just as they are now. Frills were not just missing; they were nowhere to be found. And this allowed them to maintain a focus on their faith that was uninterrupted by unnecessary distractions.

12/24/12The Right lesson

Monday, December 24
BY: Armstrong Williams
The Right Lesson
Mass murders, as distinguished from smaller incidents, are all the same in one regard: they pit one armed man against many unarmed people. How did the Newtown shooting end? When Lanza saw the police, he killed himself. It was in direct response to force that the shooting ended.
Stupid gun laws don’t become smart because an incident so horrifying and unlikely as the Newtown shooting has happened. These suggestions are the wrong lesson to take from this harrowing incident. The right lesson? Those parents hugging their children—and not just their children but their spouses, their friends, their parents—even tighter.
On this Christmas, I will leave you with the words of the reason for this season, the Son of God and Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ: “Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. estat www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m.D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

12/21/12The(e) beginning of the end

BY: Armstrong Williams
The(e) Beginning of the end
It's funny, I woke up this morning with the thought of Armageddon and spent a while mentally composing my last memo to God--just in case. If the Mayans are wrong, I'll remain here to fight the cause of values and virtues that built this once great nation. If they are right....then vaya con dios, to all my friends. Well December 21, 2012 continues and we're still here, for now. However the seeds are in place for the destruction of our society and our world as we know it today. The United States of America is the most powerful nation that the world has ever known and it's military overthrow would be nearly impossible. It can however be destroyed financially, and morally.
In 1831 Alexis de tocqueville came to America to study the reasons behind our greatness. The Europeans couldn't understand how a fledgling nation barely 50 years old could compete with them on every imaginable level. In his in depth study he was impressed by our fiscal responsibility, but was more impressed by the fact that we taught morals and values in our public schools. He concluded along study by saying "America is great because America is good. If America ever ceases to be good she will cease to be great". The seeds of America ceasing to be good and fiscally responsible as well as morally upright have admittedly been sown. When the financial bases of the USA is destroyed the rest of the world will follow like dominoes and chaos will reign supreme. Maybe this is what the Mayans predicted. The question that remains, is whether our destruction is inevitable or can logic prevail? It is becoming difficult to remain optimistic given the lack of leadership emanating from Washington, DC. With ideologues running amok and reason thought absent, we can only hope and pray that logical thought will make an appearance before the end.
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12/19/12Emotional ineffective Gun Legislation

BY: Armstrong Williams
Emotional ineffective Gun Legislation
The New town Connecticut massacre has once again placed the spotlight on the issue of gun control. There are many cries in the wilderness for more stringent gun control laws. However the application of such laws would not have prevented the most recent massacre. The guns used were perfectly legal and the cold blooded murderer had no criminal record. So even if you had removed from the streets all individuals with criminal records and removed all illegal weaponry, the incident would have still occurred. Logic would demand that we begin to search for alternative solutions to ideological driven and ineffective legislation. We should be asking ourselves what could have prevented or lessened the senseless deaths. Analyzing the story one can see that the principal and many of the teachers were incredibly heroic in there attempts to physically disarm the shooter and save the children. If they had been trained for physical combat or had access to appropriate weapons which they had been trained to use, the outcome would probably have been most significantly different. In some schools there are armed guards and policeman already, unfortunately there are not enough of them to be in every school. Therefore, we need to find a way to create an equivalent situation of having a trained armed individual in the school. Whether this is a specific teacher, principal, resource officer, or member of the national guard is not important; what is important is that this individual is in place.
It is living in a fantasy world to believe that you can legislate these problems away.
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12/17/12The new American grown terrorist

BY: Armstrong Williams
The new American grown terrorist
In many schools today religion is non existent. In our homes violent video games consume our children and we are in denial that it's not having an enormous impact. There is a clear lack of parental guidance and respect in the home .
Parents let alone can't punish there children and in NY parents can't be arrested for verbally challenging there kids.
This new era of dumbing down the American family has created such a vacuum. It is now that we are beginning to see the consequences that has resulted from this abandoning of morality, discipline, and common sense.
Do you actually think that rhetoric, more government anti- family policies are going to cure what ails us?
We don't have to worry about Foreign grown terrorist coming to our country. Our new terrorist are home grown and are our very own teenage and adult children. They kill innocent people in theaters , shopping malls, massacre children , their friends, teachers, and adults in classrooms with out any regards for human life. They kill their parents and any anyone who stands in their way. Without a doubt parents, teachers, friend and loved ones see the warning signs and yet can't act until there is a murderous crime scene where the assassin usually in a cowardly manner, kill themselves . The media, Hollywood, hip hop, and the entertainment culture must equally share blame, and not the usual rhetoric of placing the blame with lack of gun control laws.
The media is often Obsessed with black on black crime; lack of a family structure and yet none of these massacres happen in inner city and urban America. You don't see young black men killing people in the classroom , in shopping malls or movie theaters. These heinous crimes happen in suburban America with a young white male committing the mind boggling atrocities. Why doesn't the media and there so call experts discuss how these young white males consume the music, violence, Hollywood entertainment culture and perpetrate these unconscionable acts as assassins. If these assassins were black , the conversation would be about why young black male culture is a vicious cycle of terrorism and cold blooded murder.
These crimes were non existent 50 years ago. What has changed in America that the media and there so called experts refuse to bring in the media spotlight?
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

12/12/12Separation of Powers

BY: Armstrong Williams
Separation of Powers
The Separation of Powers is an essential element of our Constitutional structure. It is designed to limit aggregation of power at the federal level at the expense of the people and to foster competition and a balancing mechanism among the three branches of government; the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
Here is how it works: when Congress objects to an action (or inaction) by the executive, it can pass a law or withhold or increase an appropriation; the President can veto a bill passed by the Congress; Congress can with a 2/3rds vote override the President’s veto; the Supreme Court can hold a law passed by Congress and signed by the President unconstitutional; Congress can pass, and the President sign, a new law overriding the court’s decision; and so on and so forth.
Therefore it should not be a surprise that, in recent times at least, the legislative and executive branches both fair better when they are in different party hands and thus freer to pursue their institutional Constitutional aims.
The problem that dogged both Clinton (for the first two years) and Bush 43 (for the first 6) is that having both branches in the same party’s hands made it very difficult for either President to resist overreaching and overspending by their legislative partners. When Newt Gingrich took over the House in l994, however, he was liberated to pursue his own agenda. He became master of his own house, took charge of what had been a very fragile beginning period of governance and developed an agenda that put him in charge of the government with, to his credit, many accomplishments--like welfare reform and spending restraint--that would have been near impossible otherwise.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

12/11/12Liberalism Black Hole

BY: Armstrong Williams
Liberalism's Black Hole
Why inequality still exist for a large portion of the US Black population
Since the end of slavery, there has always existed inequality between the labor force participation of black women and men, which caused an imbalance in the roles of husband and wife, even before desegregation. But since 1980, the black family institution has declined precipitously. The vast majority of blacks born in this country are born into single parent households, mostly run by single black women.
Why is that? In an age in which blacks are free to marry each other, and they enjoy drastically expanded education activities and political rights, it would seem that there would be a blossoming of middle class black culture in this country. Well, let’s go back to Herskovits and liberalism for a minute. The logical extension of the anthropologists’ love affair with the native tends to perpetuate dysfunctional traits. Liberals in many ways defined what "real" black culture was in this country, and it was the "noble savage" mentality that they depicted. I’ve seen this over and over again in practice; liberals go out of their way to find the most dysfunctional aspects of black culture and celebrate them. When they see a black person who displays any evidence of culture and refinement, they dismiss him as inauthentic. They want a slave narrative to make them happy, and will stop at nothing until they get one.
Unfortunately, the black community has been all too willing to give them what they want. You want me to speak Ebonics?, Fine, I’ll show you Ebonics in return for a government education grant. You want to fund welfare instead of businesses? Fine, we’ll make sure to have plenty of children out of wedlock so as to qualify. The effect of liberal intervention into almost all aspects of black American life, while in some ways well-intentioned, has suffered from the law of unintended consequences: despite the billions spent on government programs for minorities, fully fifty years after the "Great Society" was instituted, the majority of black Americans are worse off both politically and economically than before the civil rights movement began.
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12/07/12Sarin gas is the Syrians' modern-day nuclear bomb

Sarin gas is the Syrians’ modern-day nuclear bomb
BY Armstrong Williams
President Assad in Syria is arming his missiles arsenal with sarin gas, and given how conflict is Syria is escalating, there is a strong possibility that he will unleash this deadly weapon of mass destruction against civilians.
Once the elements are mixed and the gas is activated, it is only effective for 60 days. One missile launched into a populated area can easily kill 100,000 people in 24 hours. The peripheral effect will kill one million people, and this is not the worst-case scenario.
More devastating, is the possibility that in a very unstable Syria, these very same weapons might easily fall into the hands of terrorists. These terrorists would have no qualms about using them in other parts of the world, especially in the United States’ most populous areas. An attack with a weapon of this magnitude, if this weapon were to fall in the wrong hands, would completely change our world overnight.
Dealing with the fiscal cliff issue would be a walk in the park for Obama and Boehner compared to what would happen if these people were to release one of these bombs in one of our major population centers.
Sarin gas is the modern-day nuclear bomb, and we need to keep a close eye on Syria as conflict develops. Even though it has been careful not to confirm that it has chemical weapons and deny that it would use any sort of weapon against its own people. Chemical weapons use would only trigger greater Western intervention in the conflict, and cause the conflict to become the next world war.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

12/06/12Maintain the Debt Ceiling

Maintain the Debt Ceiling
By: Armstrong Williams
Congress has a responsibility to insure that tax payer’s money is spent prudently. It also has a fiduciary responsibility to future generations to preserve the country’s assets and to pass on a financially sound government and society. It would be fiscally irresponsible for Congress to authorize spending money today for current consumption that it must borrow. It should never borrow money unless it is creating infrastructure and investment that will benefit future generations. Each generation of Americans must pay for its current government consumption. It should not create consumption liabilities that future generations must repay.
It is arrogant and financially imprudent for the President to demand that Congress not to place a limit on the debt ceiling.Congress has a constitutional responsibility to approve spending by the government. The debt ceiling limit is an important tool used by Congress to limit government spending from borrowed money that our children must repay. Congress has a fiduciary responsibility to limit government debt even if it is politically unpopular. If American voters want to elect a fiscally irresponsible Congress, the Republican Party should not participate. Standing on principal will eventually vindicate the Republican’s financial prudence if and when a newly elected fiscally irresponsible Congress takes America down the road to bankruptcy.
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12/04/12A Secret grab for power

BY: Armstrong Williams
A Secret Grab for Power
We should turn our attention again to the Middle East but not necessarily Israel and the Palestinians. We should focus on Egypt where the people have decided that they will not tolerate a power grab by President Mohammed Morsi disguise as maintaining order. President Mohammed Morsi is trying to change the fundamental structure of their government and become a dictator for life. We too are experiencing a test to fundamentally change our government and the sad news is that an overwhelming number of Americans are still asleep at the wheel. We have a president who appoints czars in great numbers , who have no responsibility to the other branches of government as our Constitution has mandated. Our president continues to use fancy legal meandering to avert oversight by the other branches of government to exert his will on "We the People". In times past our system would not have allowed this because a responsible media would have highlighted it in such a fashion that the protest would be deafening as we are witnessing now in Egypt. With no responsible media and a power hungry administration hell bent on changing the nation, we face a severe challenge in maintaining the American way of life.
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12/03/12Murder in the first degree

BY: Armstrong Williams
Murder in the first degree
There has been much media attention focus on the murder/suicide involving Kansas City chief defensive player Jovan Belcher . Although it is tragic when any two people lose their lives secondary to violence, it should be remembered that what occurred was cold blooded murder. That would be the case if it were committed by a bum on the street, a political figure, or a well paid athlete. We're certainly not implying that Jovan didn't have severe psychological problems, but virtually every murderer has severe psychological problems. This is why they eventually become murderers and certainly doesn't excuse the behavior. If so much attention is going to be given to this case, at least half of it should be focusing on the intelligent young woman who lost her life and her 3 month old baby if left motherless. They are certainly more so the victim than the estranged boyfriend/father. During one of the NFL programs yesterday one of the commentators used the incident to call for gun control. The issue has nothing to do with gun control and has everything to do with self control. Guns do not kill people, people kill people with guns. We all need to spend more time concentrating on what the real issues are, not only in this story, but the many stories that are brought to our attention by a media more focus on sensation than truth.
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11/28/12 President Obama refocusing our financial situation

President Obama refocusing our financial situation
BY Armstrong Williams
I want to extend my congratulations to President Obama and the Democratic Party for being able to successfully shift the focus from fiscal responsibility to a focus on taxing the wealthy and entrepreneurial class.
If we look at this situation purely on the surface, raising taxes on the job creators and the financially successful seems to be a viable solution- especially for the people who do not fit into those categories. Because of human nature, we are wired to think that it is right to “take his” and “not mine.”
Unfortunately, raising taxes on business owners and the wealthy does little or nothing to alleviate our rapidly approaching insolvency. The only thing this solution does is give us a “feel good” instinct that we are trying to do something when in reality; we are just pushing off the issue at hand while it stays the same or gets worse.
It’s like a college student who procrastinates on a paper by doing laundry. While the student may have clean clothes at the end of the laundry cycle, the paper still needs to be written before deadline.
We will eventually be forced to deal with the real issue, be it Republicans, Democrats, or Independents. Like the college student who will be held accountable by his professor for how well he does on his paper, the people will hold President Obama and the Democratic Party accountable for how well he fixes our financial situation.
The sooner we realize that our biggest problem is over-spending as opposed to under-taxing, the sooner we restore our nation to a path of prosperity.
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11/27/12Is Healthcare a right, privilege, or none of the above ?

Is healthcare a right, privilege, or none of the above? Monday, November 26, 2012
BY: Armstrong Williams
Often when people near the end of life, secondary to an illness, they begin to contemplate their lives and recognize that of all the things they've accumulated and all the accolades that have been bestowed upon them; nothing is as valuable as life itself.
When you stop and think about it, there is nothing that should be protected more than life itself. One of the mechanisms whereby we protect that precious entity is medical care. So the question arises, if it's the most valuable thing we possess, whose responsibility is it to protect it? Is it the responsibility of the individual that possesses it? Is it the responsibility of the society in which that individual is a constituent? The answers will most likely lie somewhere in-between those two choices.
Certainly both the individual and society have something to gain by having healthy components. Neither of them benefits by simply expecting the other to take on the whole responsibility. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that an individual should take at least some responsibility for their own health and society should serve as a safety net.
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11/21/12Pay Day is Coming

Pay day is coming
BY: Armstrong Williams
If you think for a minute that the national debt of $16 trillion dollars or $45,000 per person is scary, think again. It is only the tip of the iceberg of America's indebtedness. In addition to the official national debt, theU.S. government and state governments have additional off-balance sheets with unfunded obligations estimated to be as much as $100 to $150 trillion. This equates to half a million dollars per person. These obligations include unfunded pension liabilities, social security, Medicare, Medicaid and state unfunded liabilities.
If American politicians don't restructure the government’s promises, it is only a matter of time before our nation goes broke. The only thing keeping America from going totally bankrupt is the Federal Reserve Bank. Over the last three years, the Fed has bought about half of America's debt. Where does the Fed find the money to fund our debt? It prints it like there is no tomorrow! Our only constraint on runaway inflation from this increasing money supply is a stagnant, deflationary economy. When the economy truly begins to recover, expect the chickens to come home to roost with inflation roaring back like the Falls of Niagara. At that point, America will begin to pay her bills. Sadly "we the people" paying the bills will be the middle class’ savings and fixed salaries. Inflation will decimate the value of their savings, salary, and lifestyle.
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11/20/12In Gaza: Life and Death, Blessing and Curse

BY: Armstrong Williams
In Gaza: Life and Death, Blessing and Curse
Watching the escalation of fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza this week the words of God as recorded in Deuteronomy 30:19 continue to run through my head: “I call heaven and earth as my witnesses against you right now: I have set life and death, blessing and curse before you. Now choose life—so that you and your descendants will live.”
What the world is witnessing in Gaza during the past week is the stark contrast between Israel, a nation and a people that choose life, and Hamas, a blood thirsty terrorist organization that celebrates and embraces death.
During the past week, Israel has taken action to defend itself against on onslaught of rocket and missile attacks that have terrorized its citizens for years. For the men, women and children who live in Southern Israel 15 is the most important number in their lives. That is how long they have to seek shelter once the air raid sirens go off. 15 seconds is how long it takes for the rockets fired in Gaza to soar toward sovereign Israeli territory and detonate close to civilian targets.

11/19/12Strength in Unity

Strength in unity. Monday, November 19, 2012
BY: Armstrong Williams
This isn't the first time that the state of Texas has threatened to secede from the Union. The real issue is why a state would want to pursue this course of action? Obviously, Texas and other states feel strongly that its interests are not aligned with those of the government of our nation. In today's political environment based on the recent presidential election results, the country is split down the middle. That should not mean that the losing half should pick-up their marbles and go home. When states like Texas and others want to secede, their actions should give our government pause. If the White House is savvy, they should start asking questions about what they can do to bring about unity and harmony, rather than drive more wedges between themselves and halve a nation that has different ideals. In other words, The White House is going to need a lot more than a form letter to placate the concerns of our divided American people.
The current White House could learn a lesson by revisiting the Clinton Administration era, where disagreements were also extreme and yet former president Clinton was able to swallow his pride and work with the opposition to create one of the strongest economic periods our nation has ever known.
As the old adage goes, there is strength in unity.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

11/16/12Is Healthcare a right or privilege or neither ?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Is Healthcare a right or privilege or neither ?
It seems that our politicians have not yet struck that balance between safety net and individual responsibility, given already disastrous budgets as we plow full-speed ahead towards the fiscal cliff and a mandatory healthcare plan that will lessen the quality of our current healthcare system as we know it and muddle our mission toward the poor. At the same time, we also have a moral duty to take care of our fellow man regardless of the cost.
The implication of the narrowed view of healthcare as a right or privilege is that there is no difference between rights and laws. The founding fathers stated that we have rights to life, liberty, property, and advocated a government that protects those rights. If we interpreted our Constitution correctly, America was built on the principle that government exists to protect our rights that already exist, not dictate what rights we have, do not have, or should have.
But healthcare cannot be a privilege either if we look at the true definition of privilege. Privilege is a special favor granted by another entity, whether it is government, the private sector, or within a household. It is also not something that we only obtain from the government. Healthcare is however, a service that is provided through both public and private means. If we want to live out the liberties granted to us by our founders, we should reserve our right to purchase healthcare on the free market allowing opportunities for those to purchase at affordable rates, not by allowing healthcare controlled by bureaucrats.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

11/15/12What Secrecy Reveals

BY: Armstrong Williams
What Secrecy Reveals
Several CIA Directors have had affairs, and, even though this doesn`t excuse the behavior, it makes the secrecy of this current situation all the more suspect. The FBI was first informed of the affair in May, along with the Attorney General,and the affair was investigated. It strains the limits of credulity to say that this top level investigation was ongoing without the knowledge of the White House. Such things simply do not and have not occurred in the past.
​
​That Mrs. Kelley even got the ear of General Petraeus is disturbing, and a sign that we have much bigger problems than Petraeus’ libido. Both of the Kelley sisters exhibit serious mental pathology, and an obsession with trying to get close to our military brass that sounds like something out of a Cold War James Bond movie. Jill Kelley has referred to herself as “an honorary consul general,” and claimed diplomatic immunity, which, if it the context were not so terrifying, would be hilarious.
​
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.
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11/14/12The GOP needs an Immigration policy

BY: Armstrong Williams
The GOP needs an Immigration policy:
Romney’s immigration stance created an enormous gap in Latino voters. The biggest discussion within the GOP now is how to court more Latino voters into the party. Romney won less than 30% of all Latinos, and one exit poll in Florida said he even lost Cubans, who tend to be extremely conservative. You don’t have to win Latino voters over as a whole, but you have to cut the gap. Bush won 44% of Latinos in 2004 and that allowed him to have victories in Nevada and New Mexico. It wasn’t a drastic change of values, or a tipping of the country in the wrong direction as conservatives like to point out, it was a politically inept position on illegal immigration that pushed away a huge potential voting bloc. Barack Obama’s administration has deported more illegal immigrants then any president before, but you wouldn’t know that listening to the campaign, because the GOP’s flawed immigration position nullified this point.
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11/13/12Forward Advice for the GOP

BY: Armstrong Williams
Forward Advice to the GOP
There is now only one way for the Republicans to go if they wish to be
relevant.
They need to carefully build a coalition between themselves, independents,
blacks, single women, suburban women and make inroads regarding the Latinos.
This can happen by the Republican leadership abandoning trying to legislate
religion (which is in compliance with the Constitution) and creating an
immigration policy which makes sense.
Personally I am against abortion and gays continue to contribute significantly
to our nation. But abortion is a religious issue. We should educate against it
but the government has no right to dictate how people view this very personal
subject.
As far as same sex marriage is concerned, it in no way endangers heterosexual
marriage. Young beautiful black and blond woman endanger heterosexual
marriage--not gays.
We need immediately to end the practice that anyone born in America is an
American. One parent must be an American to become an American. We then need to
expand our Green Card working program to allow Latin workers to be legally here.
Part of the Green Card includes buying medical and auto Insurance.
Republicans can now attack spending and the deficit with impunity. The public
wants that--they just cannot stand the idiotic right Christian views exemplified
by our recent Republican Senate candidates and whether we like it or not Latinos
will soon be the largest voting block in the country--it already is in
California.
We are at a tipping point. Get out of the bedroom, educate as opposed to
legislate abortion, and create an immigration policy that makes sense--or watch
the Democrats spend this country into oblivion.
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Friday.
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11/12/12Still Analyzing Last Week's Election

BY: Armstrong Williams
Still Analyzing Last Week's Election:
The Democrats banked on their 2008 coalition, and won big, bigger than big. This wasn’t just a narrow survival by a weak incumbent president, it was a nationwide blue wave, a sweep at every level, from the president down to ballot initiatives like redefining marriage and legalizing marijuana. You can’t blame Hurricane Sandy for that. The unfortunate fact is that the millennial generation is the most secular generation in American history, the most socially liberal. Will they be shifting every election to the left from now on?
The Obama campaign — Axelrod, Plouffe, Cutter — look even smarter than they did four years ago, when they got a freshman senator elected president by 7 points over an experienced war hero. This time, they got President Benghazi, President ObamaCare, President Contraception Mandate reelected after a historic midterm loss. And they did it all without actually revealing a second-term agenda, or any evidence that their policies had done any good.
The Democrats now believe they have a mandate to govern, and Republicans are now in an uncomfortable position everywhere. The policies of the last four years have been not only affirmed but, with these ballot initiatives, shown to be moving mainstream. Can the Republicans across the nation gather themselves, find diverse, convincing messengers that look like the changing demographics of America, and finally save our once-great nation? It would be foolish to think that this recent election was a repudiation of American traditional values and strong work ethic; it was only a stern message to Republicans to move outside their bubble and build the party apparatus with a diversity of minorities from the grass roots to the hierarchy of the GOP, and give displaced women, blacks, Hispanics, etc., an alternative to the Democratic stranglehold.

11/09/12Why is Wall Street worried ?

Why is Wall Street worried?
BY: Armstrong Williams
The stock market dropped by almost 300 points Wednesday in the largest post-election drop in history. There was a rush of cash into U.S. government bonds as well because investments in U.S. government bonds are considered a safe haven.
These odd messages of Wall Street must add up to something. What is it that investors are afraid of and what frantic messages are they conveying? Because Wall Street is usually insightful in predicting election outcomes, why was Wall Street stunned by Obama's re-election?
The reality is that the fiscal cliff looms ever closer as the possibility that President Obama and Congress can reach an agreement to avoid tax hikes and spending cuts by January 1st of next year seems uncertain at best.
In Greece, Parliament is having similar discussions about controversial cuts and tax increases that could send Europe into further financial crisis.
Every major market indicator signals that global investors are more worried than optimistic about what will happen to the U.S. economic policy before President Obama officially starts his second term.
If President Obama and Congress do not reach a deal by January 1st, the nation could go off the fiscal cliff despite the risk of a recession. The election overall confirmed the status quo, which means it is very unlikely that things will change unless Obama and Congress make a bipartisan agreement to reduce the national debt.
Let us sincerely hope that the CEOs of Main Street want engage in massive layoffs of workers, because of that same fear that worried Wall Street immediately following the election outcome.
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11/08/12Can we sell conservatism in the foreseeable future ?

BY: Armstrong Williams Can we sell Conservatism in the foreseeable future ? There is simply no way to sell conservatism to people anymore: people have other values now. Obama has fulfilled left-wing dreams that go back decades, not only bringing universal health insurance to a once-limited government, outlawing Catholics from owning businesses, and getting rewarded with four more years for doing so. I can only tremble to wonder what Valerie Jarrett meant when she said that Obama’s second term will be about punishing their enemies, if this is what they have already done. The Republican Party lost multiple unloseable elections (see Mourdock, Akin, Romney). They did not merely let winnable elections slip away, but actively gave them to Democrats, a situation much more heartbreaking than the narrow defeats of 2010. At best, the Republican Party has even more cautionary tales for its younger members, more examples of what not to do, but that is small consolation for two more years of Obama and Reid. In the same way, the only good that will come out of this for the country is suffering, which is the greatest teacher. The Democrats will continue to show us what does not work. Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

11/07/12Widening the GOP tent to include more minorities and single women

BY: Armstrong Williams
Widening the GOP tent to include more minorities and single women
The GOP was wiped out across the board.
The other side had a simple message...Mitt never really found a clear, simple message of what he would do that was so much better for Hispanics, Non-whites, the poor...and he did not help himself by remaining pegged as rich and elitist...
The GOP must devise a long term strategy to communicate its message in a positive and trusting way to minorities and single women.
He got pegged as a 1%er and not caring about the other 99%..a deadly perception going into an election of us versus them.
Sad that other Republicans had a bad night too...a bunch of Liberal initiatives sailed through....Elizabeth Warren..Gay Marriage..MD Dream Act...
Mitt's steadfast vision of increased Military spending lacked the fiscal discipline that responsible fiscal conservatives would like..Bush did that and was a spending madman.
Get ready for 4 years of deadlock....and new taxes.
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11/05/12We the people time has come

BY: Armstrong Williams
We the people time has come
Consider this: both sides have spent about one-billion dollars each, presumably to win over about seven percent of the electorate. We spend more and more money each election to win over fewer and fewer voters. Is this the next bubble to burst?
​Also, consider the fact that two billion is about as much as the federal government borrows every few hours.
If you think about this long enough, you will realize why we spend so much money to persuade such a small group of people: there is a lot at stake. The Left often attacks big political donors, not withstanding their own, as unfairly influencing the government to get what they want. But this is precisely the problem of big government: if we had a small government, then there would be small incentive to influence it.
The Founding Fathers understood this, just as they understood that, although no system is perfect anymore than any politician is, some are less flawed than others. I cannot help but feel a little trepidation at the possibility that the American people might make a terrible choice in this election. But even if they do, they will have to live with the consequences. A free people gets what it deserves. If there is any problem in our Republic, it is not our system, but us.
In fact, there is a very good chance that, despite record levels of anger against incumbents, we might end up with exactly the same situation that we have now: a Democratic President and Senate, a Republican House of Representatives. Although that would make almost no one happy, it would be a great tribute to the design of our Founders: it would be a sign that we are accurately and faithfully represented.
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11/02/12Which candidate is going to overhaul Social Security?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Which candidate is going to overhaul Social Security
For 77 years, the Social Security system has been a safety net for American seniors, vastly reducing the rate of poverty among the elderly and changing the quality of life for most Americans.
That was yesteryear.
Many economists and commonsense Americans now predict that the system will collapse within a generation. The problem is straightforward: The baby boomers' impending retirement will cause a shift in the workforce so pervasive that the Social Security system will become top heavy, like an inverted pyramid.
In other words, too few workers will be supporting too many retirees. As a result, the cash outflow in Social Security benefits will exceed the cash inflow in taxes
Perhaps this is a good time for both presidential candidates to mention that there exists no Social Security surplus. The Social Security Trust Fund is filled with old, yellowed scraps of paper that read "IOU."
So, what we're looking at is the impending bankruptcy of the entire Social Security system. Experts predict that on or about the year 2032, the system will collapse.
This situation takes on catastrophic proportions when you consider that 66 percent of elderly Americans use Social Security payments as their primary source of income. This point has not been lost on Paul Ryan. Before his selection as Romney's running mate Ryan proposed a drastic overhaul in the system. He was on a cross-country sales pitch, preaching the merits of allowing some Social Security funds to be invested in private accounts.
Predictably, the Democrats united in opposition. They talk about how privatizing Social Security funds gambles the future of our seniors on the stock market. But they offer no counter proposal. At best, they try to forestall the problem by raising taxes, passing legislation to extend the retirement age and paring away our promised benefits.
However, you can only raise taxes or increase the retirement age by so much. The problem of too few workers supporting too many retirees will continue to lurk as long as infant mortality rates continue to decrease and life expectancy continues to increase.

11/01/12Islamic Terrorist remain a serious threat

BY: Armstrong Williams
Islamic Terrorist remain a serious threat
Have we become complacent to the continuous threat posed by Islamic extremists? I fear that we have been so conditioned not to disparage the practices of other cultures that we continue to ignore this evil microbe among us. We have been so brainwashed about what's politically correct that we forget about what's morally correct. We forget that thousands of Muslim women are being enslaved by archaic religious practices. We forget that Muslim children are being taught to blame all the problems of their lives on Western culture. We even forget about the men who are being told to strap bombs onto their bodies and detonate themselves in public squares and unsuspecting places.
At some point we must realize that actively defending against radical Islamic teachings is not a matter of cultural relativity, it is a matter of universally recognized human rights. The idea of terror attacks is at odds with the basic freedoms embraced by all enlightened, democratic societies. At some point we must make a decision not to allow the mere threat of charges of cultural or religious insensitivity to stop us from dealing with this evil.
Very simply, the culture of another people does not have to be accepted when it is subhuman! Terrorism is subhuman! And human rights activists need to admit where this problem is coming from. The anti-Western hatred perpetuated at mosques and Muslim meeting places needs to be held up to public scrutiny.
At the same time, the government needs to engage in outreach programs to Muslim youths. They need to make sure that Muslim kids are not so alienated from mainstream society that they can simply be programmed by Mosques to hate and degrade Westerners. Most of all, the government needs to provide sanctuary to young children who do not agree with these radical and hateful teachings, instead of allowing Muslim extremists to hide their hate behind a disingenuous veil of cultural relativity.
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10/31/12Conservatives have the winning ideas

BY: Armstrong Williams
Conservatives have the winning Ideas
Democrats win elections by primarily by carving up the American people into interest groups. Republicans usually fall for this trick, and often play by Democrat rules. They have never won this way, and have only hurt their own credibility by doing so, giving Democrats ammunition for the next election.
​
Democrats also win based on personal appeal. They can sell bad ideas with the right Hollywood celebrities, the right late-night comedians, and a smiling face. And no politician is more of a celebrity, more of a media figure than President Barack Obama: you cannot beat him at his own game.
​Conservatives have an advantage in that our ideas have been tried, and have succeeded. Our ideas—respect for the Constitution and the rule of law, economic freedom, respect for traditional moral principles—are our country’s default positions. The progressives are the innovators: the burden of proof is on them. They must tell us why our tried-and-true ideas must be changed.
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10/29/12Money and Politics

Money and Politics:
BY: Armstrong Williams
Why is it that tens of millions of Americans abstain from voting, or that the majority of Americans think elected officials are not true public servants, and that barely 15 percent of the population think Congress is honest and ethical?
Why is it that so many people feel alienated and apathetic about politics?
Well, if you get out and talk to people, and if you do legitimate polling, you find that these people feel betrayed by their elected officials at the expense of big donors, lobbyists, the media, big business, and special interests. And as journalist Bill Moyers says, "When so many people drop out of a system they no longer respect and which they think no longer represents them, democracy loses its legitimacy."
American democracy (i.e., American politics) is losing its legitimacy at home and abroad because it is being ruled by the elite instead of the people, as it was intended.
Despite the fact that President Obama in his 2008 claimed over 100,000 people donated the $25 million to his campaign chest, you can confidently bet the majority of it was given by large donors, huge political action committees, unions, corporations, and all the like. And this is no knock on him, it's a knock on the system.
Everyone's doing it, and you'd be a fool not to. According to elections expert, Charles Cook, nine of the 10 major-party nominations from 1984 to 2008 went to the candidate who raised the most money in the pre-election year.
The McCain-Feingold Act attempted to show that campaign finance reform is possible. And it showed that we can actually do something to stem the importance of money in politics. But it also shows that unless radical action is taken, campaigns will continue to be run by money.

10/26/12BIG BUSINESS RELIGION, FROM THE PULPIT TO THE CEMETERY

BY: Armstrong Williams
BIG BUSINESS RELIGION, FROM THE PULPIT TO THE CEMETERY
Corporations and parishioners are increasingly coming together to spread the word of God and make money. All across the country, churches — once intimate places of spiritual interconnectedness — have been replaced by stadiums of worship that utilize advanced technological innovations to awe, edify and rip off those in attendance.
The jig goes something like this: Corporations underwrite the construction of vast religious complexes that awe people into regular attendance. The preacher's image is projected onto a big screen. His calm baritone is beamed out by state-of-the-art speakers. From all sides, his voice fills the room. The seats shake as he gives expression to the word of God.
It's a rousing experience to be sure, and one that is increasingly paid for by corporations. In return for their funding, the churches circulate corporate promotional calendars and fliers and, if the corporation is really lucky, broadcast an endorsement straight from the pulpit. Trusting the pastor's judgment, the flock simply surrenders its money to whatever service the corporation is hawking. In such a manner, countless Christians are fleeced every year.
The newest twist in the mortuary business is to rent a chunk of church property and offer their own in-house services with the implicit church endorsement. The archdioceses of Montreal and Los Angeles contracts with Stewart's Enterprises and SCI chains, renting out their holy ground as though these mortuaries were some Starbuck's franchise.
In return for a lucrative lease arrangement, the diocese lends its tacit endorsement to the mortuary and, in effect, channels its flock directly into the overpriced mortuaries, swindling their own parishes for millions of dollars per year.
Of course these churches will benefit from their lucrative agreements. They may use the profits to erect some triumphant cathedral, decorated with such stunning artifice that its very presence proclaims the glory of God. All of which just indicates that these pastors don't actually care about their people.
After all, many churches could, in fact, offer free funerals to their members, not counting cemetery or crematory expenses. What more logical support group is there at a time of death? Instead, these ministers use their position as trusted leaders to fleece their parishioners.
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10/25/12Romney and the illusory black vote

BY: Armstrong Williams
Romney and the illusory black vote
With President Obama in the White house it's remains an illusion for the Romney camp to break the stranglehold the Democratic party continues to exert with the majority of American Blacks. American blacks don’t vote Republican because they can't seem to identify with the platform and conscience of the GOP hierarchy. Many continue to feel unwelcome and under appreciated in the Grand Ole party.
Makes sense. On the federal level, the Republican party doesn't’ have a single black United States Senator and only two members of Congress. Their greatest support is in rural and suburban areas. Those Republicans with experience as big-city officials who maintain regular associations with black-American venues tend to do okay with the black vote. But certainly, the Republican Party is not a party of big city officials. On the whole, black American communities and venues remain unfamiliar turf for Republicans.
By contrast, about one quarter of the membership of the Democratic National Committee is black. This strong representation within the party facilitates more hiring – and elected representation - of American blacks in government at every level. This creates a positive ripple effect throughout the community. For example, a black politician may maintain close associations with other black community figures such as ministers, teachers, entrepreneurs and union officials. These interlocking relationships proclaim to American blacks that they are part of the Democratic Party.
The Republicans need to take a page from the Democrats and do a better job of grooming black elected officials to carry their message into the community, because the black community is ripe for appeal. More and more American blacks are coming to the conclusion that liberalism has not solved their most basic problems. Instead, it has put many blacks in the mindset that they must be fed government programs, instead of being given access to capital and the opportunity to create their own jobs.
The younger generation of American blacks is saying it is time to move beyond the basic covenants of liberalism and finally face who they are and what they need, not solely as blacks, but as individuals.
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10/23/12Foreign Territory

By: Armstrong Williams
Foreign Territory
Romney was presidential: he had a staggering number of statistics available off the top of his head. The President didn’t have many of his own (any, actually, that I can recall), and couldn’t challenge Romney’s factual assertions.
​The Left seems exasperated at how often the two candidates agreed, and are criticizing Governor Romney for agreeing with the president, but they shouldn’t feel that way.Foreign policy has never been a purely partisan issue. Even during the worst months of Vietnam or during the summer of 2007, there were hawkish Democrats and isolationist Republicans. There are ideological divides in foreign policy, but they do not cut evenly between the political parties. This is the one area in which we have not become polarized.
​To give just one example that demonstrates this, every president that has run for office on a peace platform has waged war: Wilson, Johnson, Nixon, Obama. When you’re president, things happen out in the world that you cannot control: the world outside is a lot more volatile than the world inside. It’s a lot harder to be an ideologue in foreign policy than it is in writing checks to Solyndra.
​Moreover, Romney’s confidence made Obama look all the more narcissistic. The President was, frankly, petulant. Obama attacked first, last, and most often. Almost every interruption was by him. He even seems to have caught himself overreaching, and broke out his million-watt smile when chastened by Romney for interrupting. Consider that the President said, like King Louis, “this country—me.” I knew what he was trying to say, but it’s particularly startling to hear the President say it while glaring across at Romney.
​
So what is it that the Democrat-Media Complex wants from Governor Romney? Had he disagreed and carped at the President, he would be called partisan, an ideologue. The Governor demonstrated an open and rational mind, which was aided by his closing statement’s mention of bipartisanship. How ironic it is that President Hope-And-Change was on the attack, and Governor Romney cited an actual record of bipartisan leadership.
​Generally, a draw goes to the incumbent, but—the “scientific” snap polls notwithstanding— I think that this is a slight victory for Romney. He appeared presidential in front of the American people, unmediated by the media. It was a golden opportunity, and he took it.
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10/23/12A Draw

BY: Armstrong Williams
A ​Draw
​What everyone is going to talk about is how much more negative the president was in this debate than in the last. Whereas last time he seemed bored, or like he simply didn’t want to be there, this time he seemed barely able to restrain his anger at Governor Romney.
​
In other words, what happened was exactly what every pundit said would and ought to happen. There were the same usual talking points, the same catchphrases—“trickle-down government” and “top-down economics,” etc.—and, in comparison at least to the Vice-Presidential debate, the same tactics.
Romney made too many arguments based purely on assertion. Simply saying that you know how to get the economy going again is not good enough. You have to explain why we should believe that. He repeated himself—and a little of that is good—just too many times.
Those undecided few have three weeks to decide the fortune of the country, and, thereby, the fortune of the world.
​
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.
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10/22/12Romney's Human Side

Romney’s human side
BY: Armstrong Williams
At last week's Alfred E. Smith dinner in NY, Governor Romney further deflated the bogus image of him painted by the Obama campaign’s attack ads. The campaign’s ads almost succeeded in characterizing him as stiff, disinterested, boring, and unintelligent. They did, however, forget one thing: they were all lies.
Team Obama actually began to believe their own propaganda until they faced a reality check in the first debate. The Democrats have no contingency plan for a Mitt Romney who continues to prove himself as a normal, compassionate, funny, pleasant individual.
Romney’s remarks at the dinner exemplified his willingness to bring both sides together at the dinner when he said “In our country, you can oppose someone in politics and make a confident case against their policies without any ill will and that's how it is for me.”
Any remarks about Obama at the Smith dinner were described in a joking, light-hearted manner. He knew that the event was not a time for politics, but rather a time for bringing people together in a bipartisan manner.
The president condemned himself in 2008 on the campaign trail when he emphasized that if you have nothing to run on, you must demonize your opponent and frighten the populous. If he keeps making statements like this, he will continue to portray himself in a negative light.
The Smith dinner showed that Romney has a human side to him that is here to stay, and that there is a way to gain the support of the populous without frightening them and without demonizing your opponent. Once the people see Romney’s real personality, the Obama campaign will have a hard time trying to frighten the people into believing frivolous lies.
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10/19/12Assigning Responsibility

Assigning responsibility
BY: Armstrong Williams
How many of you have awakened the following morning of both presidential debates and could actually articulate how President Obama would create jobs, turn around the economy, and stop the dramatic increase in healthcare premiums, a promise in which he declared that premiums would never increase under Obamacare. Instead, all you hear is Obama blaming Romney and attacking his policies that create jobs and lower tax rates.
If President Obama was a contestant on “The Apprentice,” he would probably be sitting in a room with the Republican Congress trying to explain to Donald Trump why he should stay in the game as chief executive of this country. However, we as voters are lucky to be put in the position of Donald Trump in the boardroom of America. We are the ones who decide whether Obama should be given a second chance, or whether he should be fired.
Perhaps that is the wrong show. Older American’s may remember the show “Queen for a Day”. Each contestant would tell the audience her story of misery and misfortune. At the end of these tales of woe, the audience would vote to give the prize to the contestant who had the most miserable life. Obama’s record of the past 4 years is certainly a tale of woe. The tale includes unacceptably high unemployment; trillion dollar deficits, a 50% increase in the national debt to $16 trillion; anemic economic recovery with growth of less than 2%; a 5% reduction in median family income; a fiscal cliff about to send America into a double dip recession; a cover-up of the murder of America’s Libyan ambassador; a doubling of the price of gasoline; and increased medical insurance premiums which Obamacare was supposed to reduce but which Congress had to pass before they could read it. Yes, Obama would even beat former President Carter in the contest to become “Queen for a Day.”
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10/18/12War on Women

BY: Armstrong Williams
War on Women
It is interesting that the Obama campaign have decided that there is a war on women, initiated by Romney and the GOP. Early on this certainly appeared to have traction with President Obama having a very significant double digit lead among women voters. However as women have gotten to know Mitt Romney they have been able to discern that he's not a fire breathing dragon that eat babies, as this administration would have you to believe.
The polls now show a virtual dead heat between Obama and Romney among women voters. If one dissects the issue a little more, it's easy to see that what the obama campaign is doing is trying to paint Romney and Republicans as enemies of any voter demographic that might be able to deliver significant votes.
Thus we have a war on the 99%, a war on the Hispanics, a war on the elderly, a war on Labor groups, a war on Teachers, a war on government workers, and now I think you're beginning to get the message from this administration.
Unfortunately for President Obama, women have demonstrated that they are not as simplistic as he thinks they are. As time goes on many other groups will be able to see through the political chicanery and treat him accordingly. The timing is not right for a political figure who is counting on a majority of ignorant and a simplistic populace to return Obama to office for another 4 years.
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10/12/12Last Night's VP Debate Recap

Last Night's Debate Recap
BY: Armstrong Williams
Regardless of whom you think won last night's debate on issues, there was a clear winner in style. Paul Ryan was clearly respectful and polite while Vice President Biden was snug and obnoxious. While Biden had Ryan on the defensive for most of the the debate, his consistent interruptions and rude behavior was not presidential.
At a time when our nation is being torn asunder by political discourse, the last thing we need is a continuation of divisive behavior. A wise man once said "a house divided against itself cannot stand". If we continue to reward those who perpetuate the division, we will be responsible for our own destruction.
In terms of content, VP Biden and Paul Ryan made clear the differences between an Obama-Biden Administration and the Romney Ryan administration. The Obama administration clearly wants a trickle-down nanny state while Romney's team clearly wants a limited government and market-driven economy. On foreign policy, Biden was unable to justify the administration's behavior on Libya-gate. Paul Ryan stressed the Romney's Team's unapologetic “America first” foreign policy. Biden, on the other hand, repeatedly stressed his administration’s tendency to tip-toe and pay deference to America's enemies.
The latest CNN poll says that 48 percent of viewers thought Ryan won the debate while 44 percent thought VP Biden won. The poll also noted that seven in ten people said Biden spent more time attacking his opponent while Ryan was seen as being more in touch with the problems of the average American.
The history of presidential debates shows that the candidate who has a respectful demeanor towards his opponent and treats the voter with respect in his discourse will fare better than the opponent who does not. In the 1984 presidential debate where Reagan faced off against Mondale, Reagan calmly responded to Mondale’s statement about the then-President’s age and said, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” In the second debate between George Bush Sr. and Clinton in 1992, many Americans were turned off by the then-President looking down at his watch, wishing he was elsewhere. In the 2000 presidential debate, Al Gore sighed, rolled his eyes, and even invaded George W. Bush’s space at one point. Because of both Bush Sr. and Al Gore’s behavior, their otherwise strong political debate performances were seen as weak. These two candidates also lost in their respective elections.
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10/11/12Did our President and Secretary of State Lie to the American People ?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Did our President and Secretary of State Lie to the American people ?
The media is partially to blame for allowing the Obama administration to get away with a narrative that was so clearly ridiculous. The Mohammed movie on YouTube was clearly a false pretext for violence . Evidence was apparently known to elements within the administration within the first couple of days that indicated it was a terrorist attack, but the Obama administration purposefully denied that and blamed the violence on the Mohammed movie.
The instinctual inclination to apologize for the movie and offending Muslims and to focus public statements on the movie are indicative of the administration’s tendency to apologize for America.
This is not the first time that coordinated, well-planned violent attacks by Arab extremists have been blamed on “spontaneous” reactions to so-called provocations that are pretexted. In 2000 the Palestinians launched a five year war of suicide bombings and other terrorist assaults against Israel; at the onset of the violence the war was presented as a natural and spontaneous reaction to Israeli Likud leader Ariel Sharon visiting the Temple Mount. In fact, the violence was planned ahead of time and the visit by Sharon produced little more than rock-throwing on the Temple Mount; in the Libya attacks there were no violent street protests leading up to the attacks that killed our ambassador—the streets were empty.
Why did Susan Rice and other administration officials refuse to admit that a terrorist attack had taken place? It is clear now that Rice is the scapegoat and our President has thrown her under the bus, in oncoming traffic.
Without a doubt politics is the reason; Obama wants to be perceived as having been tough on terrorism as evidenced by the killing of Osama bin Laden; however, a preplanned attack in Syria by elements who may be connected to al-Qaeda didn’t fit that narrative.
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10/10/12The Fallacy of Obama's unemployment numbers

The fallacy of Obama's unemployment numbers
BY: Armstrong Williams
The media is rejoicing the prospect of an unemployment rate below eight percent in the most recent report released by the Congressional Budget Office. However, I would not get too excited at this prospect just yet. The reason why the published unemployment numbers are going down is because people are falling off the dole. Because they no longer receive unemployment checks, people are not only without jobs but without government benefits. These people are one step away from food stamps, which is why the requests for food stamps are at an all-time high.
Back in the days of the Great Depression, the masses of people looking for food assistance would stand in “soup lines.”
Today, however, the government just delivers the welfare check right to your mailbox.
There's another statistic the E6 or E16 that tracks the people who want to work and can't find a job forgets while this number continues to grow. This is the most synthetic economy we have witnessed in a very long time.
So why does the Federal Reserve continue to support programs like these when they don’t seem to be working? The reason the Federal Reserve continues to support the economy with programs like quantitative easing is so that the people who do have money continue to spend it. Otherwise it would exacerbate the problem. If everyone became savers, it would create a vicious cycle.
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10/09/12Is There a Doctor in the House ?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Is There a Doctor in the House ?
As it becomes more difficult for people to find primary care physicians we must begin to look for solutions before a complete crisis engulfs us. Many primary care physicians that have moved to the concierge model accept a certain number of patients, all of whom pay several thousand dollars a year and they don't accept any kind of health care insurance. This greatly reduces their expenses, guarantees a stable income and allows some quality in their lives, for they don't have to rush through patients in 15 minutes. We should be asking ourselves what will happen when virtually all physician go to similar models and what can be done to avoid this ? First we must find ways to reduce the debt accumulated by medical students, many of whom exit medical school with debt in excess of a quarter of a million dollars. Even though many of them would love to become primary care physicians they feel that they must pursue more lucrative specialties because of their financial pressures. Secondly, reimbursements under medicare and medicaid are marginal in terms of profit. With the scheduled decrease in physician payments associated with Obama care, and in many cases seeing medicare and medicaid patients will actually cost money. Even though many physicians feel a moral obligation to see these patients, the financial pressures will eventually obliterate their humanitarian tendencies. Unless we begin to seriously and quickly address these kind of issues, we will face a crisis in medical access for all but the wealthy in our society. The very thing that Obamacare was suppose to solve will be severely exacerbated and we will all be losers in the end.
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10/08/12Reassessing our way of Life

BY: Armstrong Williams
Reassessing our way of Life
So when we think of America, we think of a broad tapestry of perspectives, united by the common belief in freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness under God. With this liberty, however, comes a special responsibility. Here, the government does not hammer its values into the youth. It does not fabricate principles and indoctrinate the young in a rigid pattern of being. Here, in America, we are given so much liberty that the heroic task of instilling a value system is left to each individual family.
This is an extraordinary act of faith. With our notions of liberty, we leave it to each parent to demonstrate to their children, the ideas of compassion, human goodness and love. With our sense of self-government, we leave it to each individual family to instill in their children a sense of individual striving and personal responsibility. For this reason, we must never allow ourselves to be lulled into indifference when it comes to family values. So it saddens me when I read that marriage rates have plummeted to a 40-year low, or that divorce rates continue to hover just above 50 percent. It worries me when I read that parents now spend less time with their children, or that the children of duel income families are left largely to raise themselves. Each day these children come home, they cook their own dinner, and decide whether to do homework while gazing at the television. It is indeed a worrisome thing when the symbols of our materialism, like televisions, VCRs and video games, become the surrogates for our children.
As we take this occasion to celebrate Columbus Day, please assess the way of life that we love, I think it is critical that we understand just how basic and fundamental what we call "family values" are to our way of life. It is crucial that we not forget that in a self-governing society like ours, the strength of the nation resides in the strength of the family.
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10/04/12Round One Goes to Romney by a wide margin

BY: Armstrong Williams
Round One Goes to Romney by a wide margin
The consensus seems to be that Romney won the debate last night. I think it was a slight victory in terms of debate performance. But, in terms of significance, a slight victory is more than it sounds. Romney hasn’t had much of a chance to speak directly to the American people. He has been mediated by spin for a year. A good performance last night can make up for a lot of that, and help overcome some of the advantages that all incumbents necessarily have.
Romney got a full five minutes less in airtime than the President, and often had to struggle to get rebuttals in. Jim Lehrer was, frankly superfluous. I would much prefer a Lincoln-Douglas style debate, or even a simple conversation. Put the two men on stage, sit them down with a timer, and let them simply talk directly to Americans. Jim Lehrer contributed nothing (and, by the nature of his position, could contribute nothing), and detracted much. It’s time we change the way these debates work.
The President’s biggest weakness was his ability to stay focused. Governor Romney subtly mocked this at one point. The President didn’t seem to know for sure what he was trying to say. He was forced—and willingly accepted—to defend the IPAB! When you’re defending the IPAB, you’re doing it wrong.
The President seems to think that it’s 2008 again, and not because he talked about George Bush (he didn’t mention that unutterable name, like Voldemort) Why hasn’t he done the things he says we ought to do? It’s not good enough simply to say that the Republicans control the House of Representatives: for the first two years, Obama had his hands on all the levers of the federal government. And even if the Republicans did control Congress, why is the President so weak that he can do nothing despite it? Why won’t there be four more years of gridlock if he’s re-elected? The President’s complaints about the existence of Republicans in Congress sounds a lot like “this job is too hard for me.”
CBS assembled 500 people for a poll after the debate: Romney won by a 2 to 1 margin. He did a great job, and should take a great deal of confidence with him on the campaign trail.
The Vice-Presidential debate is next, on October 11. I can’t wait.

10/03/12Planned Delusion

Planned Delusion
BY: Armstrong Williams
According to all prognosticators, there is a great deal at stake with respect to tonight`s first presidential debate. Many students of history and politics are having difficulty understanding why President Obama is still leading in the polls with persistent high unemployment, anemic GDP growth, a foreign policy that is in flames; a sixteen trillion dollar national debt; and general despair about the future run rampant in this country. If Romney is capable of highlighting these obvious nightmares and is able to resist pressure from the media and Obama to talk about irrelevant and diversionary issues, he should be able to make substantial progress.
Although this sounds like a simple analysis, our President is quite clever and will use all of his trickery to remove the spotlight from his failures. He will try to emphasize any historical shortfalls of any Republican and associate all those problems with candidate Romney.
The postmortem analysis of this debate should also be fascinating. No matter how well Romney does, the left wing media will try and frame it as an Obama victory. It will be interesting to see if the American people are wise enough to decipher for themselves who they think is the real winner of the debates. It is amazing how one can listen to a debate or speech, come to their own conclusion about it, and change their opinion on it within minutes after listening to the media and other pundits’ assessments of the debate. If people do not think for themselves, they will be nothing more than the manipulators of these pundits’ thoughts and ideas. The future of our nation depends on the wisdom of a populace that up until now has been easily manipulated. We can only hope and pray that wisdom will prevail among "we the people" over mindless manipulation.
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10/02/12Distorting the Truth

Distorting the Truth
BY: Armstrong Williams
It`s time for the media and politicians to stop using selective phrases to attack their opponents.
By nit-picking these phrases for a political attack or a story, the meaning of these phrases are distorted and exaggerated. They are so distorted and exaggerated by the end of the day that these attacks hold little truth.
Take Romney’s observation on Obama’s latest statement, for example.
When Obama said that there were a few bumps in the road regarding Middle East foreign policy, Romney implied the President did not understand the significance of having an Ambassador and staff killed. Obviously this is not true, because President Obama has made it a featured point in his speech to the UN General Assembly.
The Obama group, which includes the media, completely distorted Romney`s words regarding 47 percent of individuals who are supported by government programs and their status as citizens.
He stated that the president and himself each starts out with 47 percent of the vote, so the focus of his campaign was going to be the remaining 6 percent of the electorate.
This candid fact is true, but it is also what President Obama’s campaign is doing. The focus of Romney’s statement was actually how he intended to reach the six percent of undecided voters. What the media did not choose to highlight out of that video from Mother Jones was how Romney talked about the challenges confronting our nation and the choices we have concerning its direction- and yes, he has stuck with this message since the beginning of his campaign.
The media and politicians of today act very much like third graders on a playground who hear someone say something and jump around like tattletales saying “did you hear that.”
In our advanced society that we are in the year 2012, we need to strengthen the political discourse in this country beyond simple words and phrases. Moreover, media outlets and political figures should analyze the action in context of what is being said and done like intelligent, mature adults. If we expect the American public to hear the truth and believe it, we need to give them the entire truth unadulterated by distortion.
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10/01/12Taxation without Sovereignty

Taxation without Sovereignty
BY: Armstrong Williams
Are you aware that the United Nations are looking for means to tax individuals, businesses, and transactions of sovereign nations, especially in the United States?
The UN has set up a special committee to look at revenue enhancement measures. These revenue enhancement measures are a euphemism for taxation. Why do the mainstream media ignore the UN’s efforts to tax Americans?
Some of these “revenue enhancement measures” the UN plans to implement assess a special tax on Americans and give the money to Third World nations.
They have also proposed everything from a carbon tax to a billionaires’ tax, and want to replace the U.S. dollar as the common currency all nations use for international trade.
Last I heard, America is a sovereign nation and only Congress and the State Legislatures can impose taxes on Americans according to our Founding Fathers.
The UN in their decision to tax the United States through these measures is essentially violating our right as a sovereign nation.
At the Republican National Convention, the GOP platform concluded that the United Nations is not trustworthy enough to handle foreign aid because of their history of scandal.
Why should we, as a nation, give up our sovereignty to a body that is more corrupt than some of our own leaders in government? The United States has spent over 200 years as a free, independent, sovereign nation- why should we relinquish our sovereignty now?
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09/28/12Chicago and Education

BY: Armstrong Williams
Subject: Chicago and Education
I have nothing against Chicago or Gates. I`m glad to see a Democrat "wake up and smell the failure" of public schools. For too long, Democrats have been the facilitators of teachers` unions to the detriment of children. The unions are doing their job: protecting the economic interests of their collective constituency, i.e. they favor the more senior teachers as they pay the most in union dues, and they favor a flat/time-serving rewards system over differentiation of performance and linkage of pay. Great. That`s what they`re `supposed` to do. However, Democrats have systematically privileged those interests above those of the taxpayers (ask the bankrupt municipalities in CA) and children (ask the inner city BLACK and HISPANIC kids in underperforming schools and their parents who have no choices and no rights).
Competition is the key. We have unfettered competition at the college/grad school level and the best institutions in the world. Ask the tens of thousands of foreigners who come here and pay top dollar to go. We have failing K-12 schools because of local monopolies. To the extent charter schools introduce competition, they are good. Give poor parents the same choice your or my economic status gives us: I can choose private school (actually parochial school as I believe education divorced from moral instruction is lacking) and you can choose a public school system and the attendant property taxes. I find it amusing how often "publicly- minded" Democrat parents find it imperative to move to Montgomery County or Falls Church and out of DC as their kids become school age. Ditto for President Barack Hussein Obama: no way his kids were going to a public school....it was Sidwell Friends all the way. I find this the HEIGHT of HYPOCRISY, but, hey - you guys are only limousine liberals. What else could I expect.
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09/27/12Will the Racial and Racist clock ever expire in America?

BY: Armstrong Williams
Will the Racial and Racist clock ever expire in America ?
Looking at today’s society, systemic racism within the American populace is largely dead, and that what little racism remains is likely fomented by government policies that move minorities to the head of the line. This can only prove destructive and back fire over time.
Common sense tells us that affirmative action and other
set-aside programs are ultimately destructive, both for the “soft bigotry of low expectations” that it represents, but also for the resentment it creates in the larger population in this country, many of whom were born after the civil-rights era and have taught their children by words and example that we must treat
all human beings as equals, with respect/dignity, and never make a negative or positive judgement about someone based on their race.
The real question we must ponder, is whether the vast number of minorities in our nation become so reliant on Big Government,
that they can’t make substantial progress without free money, special scholarships, quotas, affirmative action, lower admissions standards, and any other mechanism employed to propel them forward ?
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09/26/12Renewed repression in the Middle East

BY: Armstrong Williams
Renewed repression in the Middle East
An extraordinary wave of change continues to sweep across the Middle East and North Africa. It is a heady time for many who wish to cast off their chains of repression and deprivation and usher in a new age of freedom and democracy. But unless such developments ultimately occur in the context of virtue-driven changes, it is all too easy to reproduce old patterns and replace the current strongman or dictator with another or an oligarchy of exploiters. The course of human history is littered with examples where the flames of freedom were extinguished by an avalanche of renewed repression—from the French Revolution morphing into the Reign of Terror to the Iranian Revolution exchanging the Shah Palevi’s autocratic dynasty with a sect of repressive, fundamentalist Islamist fanatics.
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09/25/12QE Infinitum

BY: Armstrong Williams
QE Infinitum
The Federal Reserve, seemingly following the path of the ECB, announces QE3 just after the
Euros commit to unlimited backing of EU debtor nations. Easy money is here to
stay on both sides of the Atlantic. We hear in London they are taking measures to
rival Singapore as a reminbi center. Don't get this news in the US - too busy
running down stories of unimaginable triviality - but whenever I speak to sources outside the
US I hear financial stories about the Chinese currency positioning to be a rival
reserve currency. The seeds of our coming economic repositioning, and financial
diminution, are being put in place. Of course, President Obama can't be blamed for not
taking the straightforward moves to counter this - perish the thought.
I'm sure it's GWB's fault somehow (of course someone needs to explain to me how a housing
bubble a couple decades in the making - even Wikipedia's explanation, look up
"US housing bubble," is reasonably accurate - is all his fault). Please note
that during QE1, western funds flowed to China at a rate of $2B/day. With our
new easing, the Chinese will not have to stimulate themselves - they'll use our
funds. We debase our currency....and they preserve theirs. Same
story....different day.

09/21/12"Are Conservative Racist" ?

BY: Armstrong Williams
"Are Conservative Racist" ?
Well the Congressional Black Caucus is having their annual legislative week in Washington DC this week opining about their favorite subject "racism". They can't seem to stop reminding their audience that President Obama and his Democratic machine continues to champion their causes and if Romney is elected, we will return to the days of the great plantations. They have taken Romney's video comments about the 47% and are creating a new political industry and campaign. However, the President's record on crime, closing the education gap, reducing unprecedented poverty in minority communities, and creating an entrepreneur class during his tenure has taken a massive nose dive. Why is it that white and black conservatives are always the biggest impediment to the progress of many blacks in this country, according to the high pitch rhetoric of the CBC and Democratic machine ?
​What you’ll often hear from conservatives like me is that the left’s solutions to the problems that ail minority communities are themselves racist, since they operate on the fundamental premise that minorities are incapable. There’s almost nothing, according to Democrats, that minorities are cable of accomplishing without the help of the government. To hear some Democrats speak, minorities are incapable of doing just about anything without a handout or a leg up.
​Believing – as white and black conservatives alike do– that minorities don’t need anyone’s help to get ahead in life may be naïve, or unrealistic, but it is not racist. And certainly not as racist as the notion underpinning Democratic policy: That minorities can’t make it in this world without free money, special scholarships, quotas, affirmative action, lower admissions standards, and any other mechanism employed to propel them forward. After all, isn’t racism defined as a belief in the inherent inferiority of a group of people based on their skin color? And yet it is somehow, inexplicably, not racist, if your intention are good – not to hold them down but to help them out.
Thus, black and white Republicans find ourselves labeled racist, Uncle Toms, race traitors, and for daring to say no, no, no, they don’t need anyone’s – much less the government’s – help to get ahead in life. We live in a world where saying that we’re all equal and no one deserves a handout more than the person sitting next to us makes us a racist.
​The litany of accusations can reach absurd proportions. Want to emphasize teaching about this nation’s founding in our public schools more than the history of Swahili in Africa? You’re a racist. Want the government to stop handing out our tax dollars to companies simply because they’re run by blacks or Hispanics or women? You must be a racist. Want to keep health insurance the way it is, and not turn it all over to politicians and bureaucrats in Washington? You must be a racist. It sure gets tiresome, doesn’t it?
​It all gets back to the lack of tolerance of others’ beliefs regardless of race, and the failure to exercise patience in order to understand why Republicans of all colors believe as they do.
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09/19/12Getting used to Mediocrity

BY: Armstrong Williams
Getting used to Mediocrity
Look at what's in store for our once great America: the fiscal cliff, a further risk of downgrade, a
radicalizing Mideast (the cries of the Israelis warning about Iran are being
ignored) and we seem bent on keeping the kind of leadership that will ensure a
non, or tepid, response (from behind of course) to ALL these issues. Don't
bother us, can't tend to the global economy or our strategic challenges...we're
too busy burdening business with new taxes and regulations and adding to our
transfer payments so an ever-expanding number of people are dependent on an
underperforming central government.
Ah, the land of the dependent and the home
of the indebted (has a 'nice' ring to it and certainly has the virtue of
accuracy).
You want to see the future of the US: Visit Europe soon. Over there they're broke,
but they've accepted it. I guess we'll eventually get used to mediocrity as well.
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09/18/12One nightmare after the next

BY: Armstrong Williams
One nightmare after the next
The history of president Obama, is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
We no longer have a Triple AAA Credit Rating. That’s a historic first. Just last week, the United States of America received another downgrade that the media largely ignored. Egan Jones cut its rating of the United States credit from AA to AA-. Do any Democrats remember what Standard and Poor’s actually said when they downgraded us? They emphasized, not taxes on the wealthy, but reduction in spending, as gravely needed. Does the President think that this problem will magically go away? He has done nothing about this, and, sadly, I do not expect him to ever do anything about it.
The percentage of people working is lower than it has been in three decades. Not only are our wallets thinned out but so are our spirits. More people have gone on disability in the Obama years than have got new jobs. Are that many people actually getting disabled? Is there an epidemic going on here that we don’t know about?
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09/17/12The Middle East is aflame

BY: Armstrong Williams
The Middle East is aflame:
Keep in mind that in the midst of all this violence and uncertainty in the Middle East, a virulently anti-American fundamentalist Islamist regime in Tehran is brazenly marching toward a nuclear weapons capability. President Obama has said that all options are on the table to prevent this eventuality, but does anyone really believe that? The Iranians certainly don’t—otherwise they would have scaled back their efforts rather than defiantly ramping them up. America is watching and waiting while subterranean centrifuges in Iran are spinning.
For Israel, America’s closest ally in the region, the dangers to its security are grave and the future is uncertain. But the haunting prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran and the seething violence in so many neighboring countries is far bigger than Israel’s problem alone and is truly a global threat.
Before things get even worse, America must move past our recent foreign policy blunders and demonstrate the true global leadership we have been sorely lacking under President Obama.
The Middle East is aflame and further mixed signals by the United States will only add fuel to the fires.
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09/14/12No Thine enemies and never confuse them as friends and allies

BY: Armstrong Williams
No Thine enemies and never confuse them as friends and allies.
Bloggers be careful what you wish for. A year ago the Obama administration was triumphantly celebrating it's role in the Arab Spring. In the process the USA failed to support it's long time Egyptian allies, President Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian military. Instead it tacitly supported the devil it didn't know regime. It was obvious that the likely winners of any Egyptian election would have been the Moslem Brotherhood. The United States policies at the time naively supported the Devil that they would soon get to know.
In Libya Colonel Gaddafi was not a friend of the United States, but after decades of ruling Libya he reached a mutual accommodation with our nation. When it mattered most, President Obama would lead from behind to topple Gaddafi. Once again Gaddafi was replaced with an Islamic supporting - American hating regime.
In Iran the USA again naively supported ineffective sanctions to keep the Iranians from getting nuclear weapons.
In Israel with respect to our Israeli allies the only credible check on Iranian nuclear power in the Middle East, President Obama recently declared he didn't have face to face meeting time for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is after figuratively slapping him in the face in the White House earlier in the year and after the Democratic party removed Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel from it's party platform.
This President can't differentiate his allies from enemies. He would rather be loved and mocked rather than be respected and feared.
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09/13/12What have we gained from deposing Gaddafi ?

BY: Armstrong Williams
What have we gained from deposing Gaddafi ?
The recent attack on the United States Embassy in Libya which resulted in the death of our US Ambassador and three Senior Staff members is approximates act of war that has not engendered much of a response from the White House. Let us not forget the attack on our Embassy in Egypt this week, which is a dark reminder of the weakness of our foreign policy. Is this not reminiscent of the Jimmy Carter White house years ? Unless America finds it's resolve we will soon be under constant attack by radical Islamist elements that American taxpayers are funding and empowering. This movement without a doubt is dedicated to destroying our way of life and once they have removed us as a force for good, the entire world will easily succumb to their way.
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09/12/12A Government that is drowning

BY: Armstrong Williams
A government that is drowning
Much has been written about the fact that many American home owners are under water. This simply means that they owe more on their mortgages than their home is worth. Interestingly the United States economy is also under water. Our national debt of more than $16 trillion dollars for the first time, is greater than our Gross Domestic Product. When a home owner find themselves in this dilemma they have a difficult time borrowing money and it impacts virtually everything in their lives. Why are we surprised when our credit ratings are downgraded, which will once again occur sooner than later. The federal Reserve will no doubt do it's best to ameliorate our financial status by printing money that progressively is of less value. It is important for "We the People" to have a basic understanding of not only our personal financial status but to understand the fiscal polices and severe implications of government actions. Without such common sense it will be highly difficult to evaluate statements made by politicians who depends on ignorance by the people to sell their continuous financial lies.
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09/11/12Real estate seemed perfect.

BY: Armstrong Williams
Real estate seemed perfect.
No one in the late 80's truly understood what any of the technology firms would produce before there boom and growth. The equity markets looked like a perilous place to speculate about the future. People had come back down to earth and were looking for a traditional method to accumulate wealth. They wanted something tangible, something familiar and certainly easily understood. Real estate seemed perfect. It was among the most tangible of all assets and historically one of the safest investments. Or so it seemed.
The first decade of the new millennium in America bore witness to a viral explosion in real estate investment, fueled by low mortgage rates and an abandonment of the equity markets. The nation created a new market overnight to continue the necessary growth in the United States and all with one simple key: home mortgage debt.
In the blink of an eye, the American consumers, companies and investment markets shifted from an investment practice and equity-oriented philosophy that had characterized the dot-com era to a debt-fueled runaway train with no brakes.
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09/10/12Staring down the fiscal Cliff

BY: Armstrong Williams
Staring down the fiscal cliff
There is a psychological aspect to the fiscal cliff. Many analysts believe that individuals, investors and businessmen in this country are in economic limbo because they are concerned about the "fiscal cliff". The business and financial community does not like uncertainty. They do not know whether the US will go over the fiscal cliff and enter a recession. They prepare for the worst. Consequently, they save money and do not spend money today because in a recession "Cash is King". If the fiscal cliff were to be eliminated, these individuals, businesses and investors might be more inclined to spend money. This would immediately help stimulate the economy.
The fiscal cliff is a direct result of the failed leadership of the Obama administration. The President created this problem by failing to get congress to agree on a responsible fiscal policy and trying to put off the difficult tax and spending issues by "kicking the can down the road." Obama rationalizes his responsibility for creating the fiscal cliff by saying that he wants to prevent a tax cut for the rich. He has clearly stated that he wants to raise taxes on the rich even if it does not stimulate the economy or create additional tax revenue because it is "the right thing to do!" Isn't stimulating the economy and creating jobs for unemployed Americans "the right thing to do?" A competent President would not tolerate a fiscal cliff during a tepid recovery.
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09/07/12Not Ready For Primetime

BY: Armstrong Williams
Not Ready For Primetime
It turns out that more people were watching football—the relatively inconsequential games of Week One—than were watching President Clinton’s 48-minute speech defending himself, and, by proxy, Barack Obama. So much for that.
New jobs numbers come out Today, and Friday is the most important day of the week in political messaging: Friday is the day when the subject of the weekend talk-shows will be determined.
The jobs numbers, like the NFL’s
opening day, will, simply by timing, overshadow the Convention and soften any post-Convention bounce.
The President went into the Convention already with an advantage: Real Clear Politics had him and Governor Romney tied at 46.7%. The Convention has a number of factors working against it, and so I would be surprised if the President got anything more than a two-point bounce.
But in 2012, in an election year that everyone knows is critical to the future of the country, and, therefore, the future of the world, in a time when independents and moderates are going extinct, that’s all it takes.
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.
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09/06/12The Tale of Two Conventions

BY: Armstrong Williams
A Tale of Two Conventions
I’m here in Charlotte, and I’ve been here for all of the speeches. There is more to this convention than the speeches from First Lady Michelle Obama and former President William Jefferson Clinton. You might not have seen a lot of them—and there’s a good reason for that. The Democrats have put all of their most alienating, radical speakers first, before prime-time media coverage, and then their more moderate, salable speakers later in the evening, for middle America to see. Fortunately, we are in the Internet age, when all of this is on the record, and none of it will be forgotten.
This is already a terribly negative Convention. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL, got up on stage and said that “women can’t trust Mitt Romney.” Who does Nancy Keenan speak for? She, no doubt, would claim that she speaks for all women, which is about as arrogant as it gets.
The Democrats have made the strange choice of portraying Mitt Romney as both a flip-flopper and an extremist. I have news for them: you can’t be both. If he were extreme, he wouldn’t flip flop; if he flip-flopped, he wouldn’t be extreme. They’ve even shown us video from Romney’s Senate run in 1994 against Ted Kennedy. They think that it will help their cause by showing a younger, more moderate Romney.
The Democrats need to stick to a narrative. If they’re going to play dirty—and they have definitely decided to do that—they’re going to have to be a lot more convincing, and they’re going to have to do it in front of the right cameras
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09/05/12Granholm Speaks at DNC

BY: Armstrong Williams
Subject: Granholm Speaks at DNC
The Democratic National Convention is working hard to convince Americans that their failed policies worked.
The week after the successful Republican National Convention that triumphed personal fortitude and the American Dream, the Democrats have set the stage by parading around collectivist policies that have failed the American people.
As we saw on the Sunday talk shows this week, the Democrats have been working hard, with limited success, to defend the past four years of Obama’s Presidency. Since defending President Obama’s record is such an uphill, but necessary, battle, I was surprised to see that the Democrats have another casualty of collectivist policies, Jennifer Granholm, who was a convention speaker on yesterday.
For those of you who do not know, Jennifer Granholm is the former Governor of Michigan whose Michigan Business Tax, also known as MBT, paved the way for the Michigan unemployment to reach 14.2 percent in 2009 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The largest tax increase in Michigan history at $1.4 billion the MBT was pitched to the people of Michigan as a way to improve education, public works, job retraining and corporate subsidies. What it did instead was drive business and residents away from Michigan by raising personal income tax and added a 22% surcharge to the business tax.
Granholm’s tax was received with such overwhelming objection that Michigan Republicans were able to sweep both chambers of the legislature and the Governors Mansion in the 2010 elections—all in a state that usually leans blue and has not had a Republican Presidential candidate win since HW Bush in ’88.
After four years of President Obama’s failed stimulus, egregious healthcare law and job killing big government policies the Democrats have an uphill battle trying to convince Americans that they know how to fix our national woes. Selecting Granholm to speak at the DNC does nothing but bring up memories of failed big government policies while making this election harder for Obama. So why would the DNC select Granholm? Maybe she represents the best of what they believe and will continue to advocate.
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09/03/12Democrats Respond

BY: Armstrong Williams
The Democrats respond !
After a well-executed Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., it is now time for the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.
The Democrats are already responding to the Republican convention, and changing their speaker lineup: According to Donovan Slack of Politico, the Democrats are adding women and minorities to their roster, which I take to mean that the Republican convention was effective. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s speech was presidential — it wouldn’t be hard to imagine her giving that if she were the nominee. Just as stirring was that of Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Some left-wing critics noted that the RNC stage was more diverse than the RNC delegation; I ask, would you prefer it the other way around?
I’m afraid that that’s the case with the Democratic National Convention. As Matt Yglesias tweeted, "[the] DNC lineup exaggerates whiteness of the party relative to its actual voting base."
One good way to judge the confidence of a campaign is to note how often it uses ad hominem attacks. The more ad hominems, the less confident they must be.
Armstrong Williams, author of the 2010 book, "Reawakening Virtues," is on Sirius Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m., Monday through Friday. Become a fan on Facebook- www.facebook.com/arightside, and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/arightside. Read his content on RightSideWire.com.

08/23/12The GOP convention preview

BY: Armstrong Williams
The GOP convention preview
The theme for this year’s Republican National Convention in Tampa is We Did Build That!
It’s an interesting choice of a theme. There are a lot of options this year: Governor Romney is running against a president who simply hasn’t got much or very little right. Even the death of Osama Bin Laden, it turns out, is something that he bungled, since we saw him “spike the football” about it when his poll numbers started looking scary (incidentally, they haven’t got any better since then).
But it’s a worthy message, one that puts the question of economic freedom front and center, which is appropriate, since it will be front and center in November.
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08/22/12Medicare going bust

BY: Armstrong Williams
Medicare going bust
There is much conversation about medicare in the presidential campaign and on capitol Hill. The thing that has not been highlighted enough is that medicare has been in existence for decades already and many physicians under the current reimbursement plan do not participate. This is because reimbursements are very low and sometime do not even pay for the time and equipment necessary to treat the patient. Under Obamacare those already low reimbursements will be further reduced significantly. This will lead to more physicians bowing out of medicare and more seniors being disappointed because they can't receive adequate financial care. A recent survey among primary care physicians indicated that a large number of them were unhappy because they were forced to see so many patients in such a short period of time, just to break even. As a result many physicians are finding their work and occupation less fulfilling. Obamacare will add another 30 million people to medicare and medicaid rolls, which will further drastically exacerbate the situation. If Obama is reelected and Obamacare is allowed to stand, it will be quite interesting a year from now who he will blame for the long lines and the multiple complaints from people who can't get care.
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08/21/12Stupidity knows no party

BY: Armstrong Williams
Stupidity knows no party
Senatorial candidate Todd Akin yesterday made one of the most egregious remarks in the history of politics in America, when he implied that some rape of women are legitimate. He went on to state that sometime when a woman is raped her body goes into defensive mode which would prevent a pregnancy. All of which is complete nonsense. To his credit he quickly recognized that this was a terrible faux paux and apologize stating that he had misspoken. In a supposedly enlightened age the concept that any rape of any person can be anything but horrendous, is almost laughable . Particularly embarrassing for the GOP because of course the Main stream media will try to portray these idiotic statements as representative of all Republicans. This is no closer to the truth than to say that Joe Biden's statements of putting people back in chains is representative of all Democrats. Hopefully Mr. Akin himself will be able to objectively access whether his remaining in the race will be detrimental to his party and will make an appropriate choice by 5pm today; which is the deadline for the party being able to replace him with another candidate. Unfortunately this will not be the last incredibly stupid thing that will be said by an individual from one or the other party. We the People have to be smart enough to recognize these gaffes for what they are and not let a bias media whip us into an inappropriate frenzy.
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08/20/12Betting the Full House on Paul Ryan

BY: Armstrong Williams
Betting the Full House on Ryan
Two weeks ago, this race was about President Barack Obama. Now this race is about the future of America. Romney is gambling the entire conservative brand on November, and giving America a choice: if they really want Bismarckian statism, then they can have it. Or, if they want prosperity and freedom, they can have that back too. Romney is thinking very long-term, like a true leader should.
A lot of people on both sides have called this a risky move; they are right. But that is why it is so brilliant: if America is going down, it’s at least going down swinging. If Obama is re-elected, and we continue on the path that we are on, within a decade the interest on our debt will be larger than our military spending, and large enough to fund the entire Chinese military. Within a decade, America will no longer be able to hide that it has lost its dominance. When a future Gibbon looks backs through the rubble, he will at least be able to say that the good guys gave it one last shot.
Romney was not reckless, however; he knew that President Obama was already going to attack him for associating with Paul Ryan. The Republican House has already passed two Ryan budgets, and Obama is hoping to run against the Republican House: David Axelrod was already sharpening his guilt-by-association fallacy.
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08/17/12A Man Called Peter

BY: Armstrong Williams
A Man called Peter
After returning from vacation I was shocked and saddened by the news from our building door keeper, Mr. Mack that a homeless man who frequents my neighborhood had died. I had no relationship with this man, but he would always no matter what season of the year go out of his way to always speak to me and acknowledge my presence. On a few occasions when I wasn't so consumed with my own world, I would acknowledge him by speaking or gesturing. Many of the young adults in the neighborhood along with police officers knew him and were fond of Peter. He didn't to my knowledge pose any threat to anyone but always friendly and willing to carry on a conversation. So why did I feel shocked and saddened by the news he had passed ? There are so many people in our lives on a daily basis go unnoticed by us , because we are so busy pursuing our own personal agendas. Could it be that these people actually have something to offer? Is it possible that we should take time to develop a relationship and a friendship with those we often ignore ? After all isn't that what society is all about ? Isn't everyone important ? Also when I see someone being savaged or mistreated, I say to myself that was once a cute little baby that everyone adored. I wonder what happened to them along life's journey and I wonder if I contributed in a negative way. We all have the ability to be positive forces in our environment and positive influences in the lives of others. Let us make a commitment today to be friendly to the Peter's in our lives.
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08/14/12The manipulation of real markets

BY: Armstrong Williams
The manipulation of Real Markets
People have been remarking at how strange it is that people should express their support for free speech by purchasing fast food. On the contrary, it is strange, though unsurprising, that Democrats should try to restrict free speech, by outlawing the fast food companies they don’t like.
The Democrats, with decades of acquiescence and even assistance of Republicans, have done, and are continuing to do, everything that they can to keep the market from being a real market. They are distorting it in every way possible: they are incentivizing bad ideas with subsidies as well as tax breaks; they are punishing good ideas with heavy taxes. They are trying to re-make the market in their own image, which is something like remaking nature in our own: not going to end pretty.
The entire Democratic program is to insulate people from reality: the government will take care of your health insurance, your food, your housing, your cell phones, your child. You can behave as you wish: there are no consequences. The government will pay for your abortion if you’re promiscuous; it will give you a grant if you can’t give the market anything anybody wants; it will take down the rich if you feel bad about yourself. Papa Government is going to make everything okay.
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08/03/12Culture Matters

BY: Armstrong Williams
Culture Matters
Liberals agree that culture matters; they just want a different kind of culture. If liberals didn’t think that culture was a factor in the success of a nation, they wouldn’t be trying so hard to change ours. Their efforts to strangle Hollywood, to smother politically incorrect speech in academia, and to run the media are three examples just off the top of my head. Everybody with a modicum of common sense knows that culture matters.
One needn’t be a reductionist to see that our politics is the result of our other beliefs: it is downstream from culture. America is in trouble not because of some mistake made by the Founding Fathers, some unforeseen development; no, it is a result of culture. It is, without a doubt, our fault.

08/02/12Massive government growth

Massive government growth
BY: Armstrong Williams
The November 2012 election is a choice of whether we're going to be for, of, and by the people or for, of, and by the government. There is a mindset in our country that the government is becoming progressively smaller and less intrusive. Those who doubt this mindset often reference the New Deal, often cited as the government’s solution to the Great Depression by creating workforce programs. However, this was an isolated point in our history where extreme government intervention was necessary in order to preserve any type of economic freedom.
To use the New Deal as a reference point to compare with today’s economic situation demonstrates extreme naivete about the true nature of government growth and intrusion in our lives. On the contrary, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, by the year 2027, our debt level will be such that our economy will stop.
The reason we have a 16-plus trillion-dollar debt revolves around government spending. If our government keeps spending at this rate, our economic freedom will cease to exist. If the government was not so massive, we as Americans would not be burdened by our national debt that continues to grow. Unfortunately, denial does not solve the problem.
We as Americans have to wake up and realize that we have to take action. We have to let Washington know that this November 2012, Americans will no longer tolerate the tyranny of a big government nanny state.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

08/01/12Obama's long-term blessing

Obama’s long-term blessing
BY: Armstrong Williams
Many people regret electing President Obama because of the realization that his policies have led to the decline of our nation. However, it is quite possible that his election is the best thing that has happened to our nation in a very long time. The consequences of such an election have served to awaken the spirit of America and have helped us realize that this is a free nation of independent people who are not driven by government policy. People decided to go for the popular candidate that promised “hope” and “change” as opposed to the candidate who many Americans saw as a third-term of Bush. Four years later, the American people realize that we have a problem in this country when there is 8.2 percent unemployment and $16 trillion in national debt. We as Americans realized we need those conservative values and principles to make our nation great again. Obama’s election showed us that sometimes bad things can happen for a good reason.
If Obama had not been elected, we would have continued to slowly drift away from the values and principles that made us into a great nation. If all else fails, just remember: “this too shall pass.”
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/30/12Leave the negativity out of political campaigning

Leave the negativity out of political campaigning
BY: Armstrong Williams
If you ask most people, they will say they're turned off by negative political ads. A recent survey conducted by the marketing agency MGH showed that 88 percent of people are turned off by political advertising. However, the vast majority of the political ads in a presidential campaign are extremely negative. This is more so the case during this campaign than ever before, primarily because the president has nothing else on which to campaign. When one side becomes extremely negative, the other side feels as if they have no choice but to respond in kind. It is not clear that this is absolutely true, however. Maybe the public would respond positively if Mr. Romney were to say, if I had nothing to campaign on I would be negative also; however, I have more important things to say, especially with our economy in shambles, and we don't have time to engage in third grade tactics. We are talking about the future of our children and of our nation. Let us engage our population to think positively, create jobs and instill confidence and pride in our once great nation. Let us leave the negativity to those that have nothing else to say.
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07/26/12Representative Frank, it's time to say sayonara

BY: Armstrong Williams
Representative Frank, it's time to say sayonara
Representative Frank, it's time to say sayonara
By: Armstrong Williams
Mr. Frank, your display on the House floor this week speaks volumes on the financial debacle that the world suffered four years ago. You were emphatic that the Federal Reserve Board was above, beyond, and exempt from oversight. In your arrogant display, you attempted to belittle Rep. Ron Paul's legislation that called for auditing the Federal Reserve. We acknowledge that you have contributed to our nation's well being and have been extremely effective as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. We also acknowledge your many failures as a member of the committee. As of this writing, Secretary Geitner is appearing before your committee this week. We have also learned that Mr. Geitner was aware of the LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) pricing shenanigans while at the Federal Reserve in New York., even though he claims that he was not in a position to do anything about it at the time. LIBOR is the benchmark interest rate for the world financial community and its the rate at which the world's most preferred borrowers are able to borrow. If you borrow money, have a credit card, mortgage, car loan, or etc.-you are affected by LIBOR. We all understand that most borrowing in the world is priced based on LIBOR.
Mr. Frank, the financial community is not above the law or regulation. The financial meltdown of four years ago basically held no one accountable. The best explanation given was that this was merely an act of God and not a failure of man and his rules. No one was sent to jail and almost no one was admonished. This week, your continued shameful defense of not requiring an audit of the government agency that regulates our money supply, interest rates, and our way of life is given a pass. All government agencies have checks and balances with the exception of the Federal Reserve.
Mr. Ranking Member, your past draconian laws have put layers of regulations, stipulations and requirements on businesses, and you still want to exempt the Fed?
The American people are wondering why you are still giving favors to the public sector while the economy is suffering at the private sector's expense.
Barney Frank, it's time to say sayonara, for the sake of the economy and the American people.
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07/25/12Loaning money destroys friendships and family relationships

BY: Armstrong Williams
Loaning money destroys friendship and family relationships.
In his play “Hamlet,” Shakespeare warned, "neither a borrower nor a lender be – for loan oft loseth both itself and friend. And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry." Shakespeare’s aphorism conveys primarily a moral, not a financial message. In our discussions of the modern world, the basic principles are often put off into broad generalities – whether we want to speak about governments, banks, corporate America, the mortgage industry, or consumers. But at the basic level, every one of these abstractions is built upon the activities of individuals. One of the most salient lessons we can learn from the subprime debacle is about individual behavior – specifically the way in which individuals should deal with debt.
A virtuous approach is usually to spend only after one has earned. Being in debt is never an ideal situation for anyone. First, it reduces freedom. Also, friendships suffer when someone holds the reigns over another. It causes a reduction in the flow of affection and creates a formality that weakens social bonds between friends, family, and colleagues. Refusing to lend money to an irresponsible friend or family member may, in fact, be the best thing a true friend could do.
More importantly, indebtedness creates a moral hazard. The normal developments that would make people change their behavior – such as going broke – no longer operate effectively in a debt-fueled society. No matter how insolvent one becomes, one can always delay the day of reckoning. But the fundamental moral problem is that people don’t respect what they don’t earn. Slick Wall Street brokers who artificially create trades to inflate quarterly earnings – and thus increase their bonuses – end up spending them on frivolous pursuits. Easy come, easy go. Extending unemployment benefits during the economic downturn may seem like a benevolent gesture designed to help people who’ve been displaced by the economy. But at the same time it reduces the incentive for people to find work. Bailing out big banks by extending them interest-free loans might delay their collapse. But it does not curb the reckless behavior that got them into the situation in the first place.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/24/12Politicizing Grief

BY: Armstrong Williams
Politicizing Grief
Anyone who reads my columns and blogs can tell you that it is one of my mantras that politics should take up as little space in your life as possible. If it doesn’t, it’s only out of necessity occasioned by bad government, something we have in surplus.
A normal, healthy person with a functioning conscience should recoil with horror at the gruesome murder of a dozen Americans and the wounding of seventy others in a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. If you don’t feel that, there’s something wrong with you.
If your first reaction is, say, to get political, to condescend to our nation’s Founding Fathers about the fact that guns are instruments of violence, then there is most certainly something wrong with you.
The paparazzi treatment of the whole affair as a commoditized news story is, despite its hideousness, predictable. I had hoped that exploiting the innocent victims of a random and senseless act was not.
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.
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07/23/1273 Million Americans On the Wrong Side of the Credit Divide

BY: Armstrong Williams
73 Million Americans On the Wrong Side of the Credit Divide
A recent Wall Street Journal article examined how the Feds use of low interest rate policies has failed to reach those in need the most. Aptly calling it the “credit divide,” the article finds that “Fed officials have been frustrated in the past year that low interest rate policies haven’t reached enough Americans to spur stronger growth, the way economics textbooks say low rates should.” That conclusion is of no surprise to many, especially to the 73 million un banked and under banked Americans who don’t even figure into the Feds’ equation. That’s because extending credit to these individuals has never been seen as a meaningful contributing factor to the overall health of the economy. Sure there have been special initiatives like the FDIC’s small dollar loan program a few years back, which by all measurable accounts failed. Not because banks weren’t willing to participate in the pilot program, but at the end of the day, without FDIC incentives banks simply couldn’t make money.
Yet, we have 73 million men and women who live with the constant fear that a financial hiccup will trigger a need for money that they don’t have and most likely can’t get. While the Feds are making easy money, it’s going to those with near perfect credit scores which leave many of these 73 million Americans scrambling for other options. In other words, while interest rates are at an all time low, money still isn’t available to those that need it the most.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/20/12Romney needs to break the tradition of political mudslinging

BY: Armstrong Williams
Romney needs to break the tradition of political mudslinging
During the previous presidential campaign, President Obama clearly stated that a candidate who cannot speak about their record in a positive way concentrates on attacking and tearing down their opponents as a way to create fear. Is that exactly not what the president is consistently engaging in during this presidential election in 2012? He fits perfectly the description of an ideologue who can always criticize those who don`t agree with them even though they are doing the exact same thing and cannot see it for themselves.
It seems like Romney already has tried to clearly distinguish himself from President Barack Obama on a recent report on FOX & Friends, citing President Barack Obama’s failed economic record.
Romney Campaign Senior Adviser Ed Gillespie said Monday that the president’s criticisms of Romney were just a distraction from the real issues. Ed is absolutely right about Obama in this sense.
However, Team Romney also needs to realize that they should be the better campaign in this instance by focusing more on Romney’s positive record rather than saying that Obama is a job outsourcer and a socialist. I understand the need to fight fire with fire, but there comes a point where constant negative attacks do not make a campaign look good.
The Romney campaign needs to break the tradition of political mudslinging and start showing the American people how a president should act.
It is in the hands of “We the People” to examine the content of the words of all political candidates and determine when hypocrisy is being espoused.
Most political campaign advertisements are geared towards a seventh-grade education level while most major political speeches are written for a ninth grade level.
Do not take the words and messages of political candidates, no matter how simple they seem, at face value. More often than not the context of the message will be something completely different, only to take advantage of the unsuspecting citizen.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/18/12Truth or hypocrisy

Truth or hypocrisy
BY: Armstrong Williams
I wish the Romney team would be more consistent in its messaging. One of the reasons Team Obama has been so successful in getting the word out is because the campaign selects a theme, whether it is true or not, and pound the message into people’s heads until the people believe that the message is true.
For example, they will say that Romney is an outsourcer and is one of its principal creators.
Team Obama’s negative strategy seems to be working, because new public opinion polls show that the Obama campaign’s consistent, negative messaging seems to have taken a toll on the public’s perception of Romney.
A new Rasmussen Poll released today shows that despite Romney’s consistent message on the economy, President Obama’s message on Bain Capital has Americans split down the middle at 41 percent each on whether Romney’s time at Bain is seen as a negative or positive.
Team Romney, on the other hand, will frequently create a brief response. Although sometimes brevity is a good thing, the campaign abandons their message so quickly before they move on to something else. Yes, we all know Romney is consistent about the economy but what else is he consistent on? The public is not able to hear the message and it appears that Team Romney never got a chance to respond to Team Obama’s relentless attacks. Last week, Romney referred to President Obama as the “Outsourcer in Chief” in a speech.
This week, he should follow up with multiple examples of why that is true. For example, he has proclaimed that General Electric is a great American company and uses its CEO as one of his chief economic advisors. This is a company that probably declared that they paid no income taxes in 2010 and has more employees outside the United States than within. They make billions of dollars overseas and bring none of that money back to our land to avoid taxes. The president stated that many U.S. companies could learn a lot from GE’s example. What would he like for them to learn? These kinds of examples are not conjecture but are factual and provide Mr. Romney with more than enough ammunition to demonstrate the extraordinary hypocrisy of Team Obama.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/17/12Forced Affordable Care

BY: Armstrong Williams
Forced Affordable Care ?
Anyone who reads my blogs has heard me say before that what unites the Left is a vision of an ideal society, and what unites the Right is a vision of an ideal state. The Left will take or use any state necessary to get to that ideal society. At times they will argue for freedom in the language of the libertarian right; at others, they will defend Big Government outright. They think that this incoherence makes them centrists, pragmatists, reasonable, and they pat themselves on the back for it.
It is this ideology, this willingness to do absolutely anything to bring about their ideal society—a society, by the way, that would be nothing like any society ever actually achieved, one with gay marriage, abortion on demand, and safety net handouts for all who want them—is what drives their vision of the state. They see no inconsistency in arguing for small government one minute, and then big government the next.
I will make a few predictions about Affordable Care.
Thousands of doctors will retire rather than worry about the new laws, taxes, and legal liabilities. Eventually, there won’t be enough doctors to take care of all these people qualifying for free stuff. The money for free stuff will run out.
The next step everyone already knows from looking at Canada and Europe. Waiting for a doctor will be like waiting for bread behind the Iron Curtain. The problem will worsen and worsen.
Unless the whole system simply collapses, we all know the final step: compulsion. When you run out of money and they can’t tax you anymore, they will simply compel you to do it. After the individual mandate, there can only be a doctor retirement ban.
Anyone with a background in early modern political thought can see this coming: all rights have corresponding duties. If you add rights, you add duties. The government has added the right to affordablecare, so someone has to have the duty to give healthcare. As that pool of people shrinks, there is only one way to fix it: by force.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/16/12What does the NAACP stand for in 2012?

What does the NAACP stand for in 2012?
BY: Armstrong Williams
All headlines last week and over the weekend regarding Mitt Romney's address before the NAACP emphasized that he was booed during his address. Many were surprised to hear that he accepted the invitation to speak before a group that would be so pro-Obama. However, GOP candidate Romney not only spoke, but he spoke about the same issues he speaks about before all audiences. He didn't back down from those topics which he knew would be unpopular with NAACP attendees. This should be reassuring to many in the conservative base who have doubted his conviction on issues of concern to them. In fact, he actually takes after his father, George Romney, who marched for civil rights among civil rights activists. It is refreshing to see someone in the political arena who doesn't just speak for applause and actually believes in America.
President Obama refused to show up at the NAACP convention, citing a conflict in scheduling. In turn, he sent Vice President Biden for the task. He obviously isn't concerned about the loyalty of the American black community; in fact, he completely takes their vote for granted. The unemployment rate for American blacks is 14.4 percent nationally and at 39 percent for black youth. The black community has lost a significant portion of their wealth during his administration; the number of black babies born out of wedlock is increasing dramatically while the black family continues to disintegrate rapidly. President Obama can legitimately believe that the American black community will vote for him regardless of how detrimental his policies are to their well-being, simply because he is the first American black president. This is a sad commentary on the analytical skills of an important and critical segment of our society. Hopefully at some point, organizations such as the NAACP will advocate for policies that improves the situation of their constituency rather than supporting feel-good candidates and issues.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/12/12In God we trust ?

In God we trust?
BY: Armstrong Williams
Isn't it interesting that almost all presidents end their speeches with the phrase "may God bless America?" Whenever there's a natural disaster or crisis in one's family or life, we always talk about the need to pray. However, when things are going well, we forget about God and we frequently forget about godly principles. It is interesting to note that during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, our nation was about to split apart due to political differences when the elder statesman Benjamin Franklin proposed a unique solution before the assembly.
He said, “Gentlemen, during the Revolutionary War every other phrase out of our mouths involved a request for God's help which we obviously received. Now we barely speak his name. We need to get down on our knees immediately and ask for God's guidance.” The entire assembly immediately knelt and prayed. When they arose, they put together a 16 and one third page document known as the Constitution of the United States.
The convention began the practice of starting each congressional session with prayer. Believe it or not, this practice still continues today in a society that seems to praise secularism over religion.
Now we need to make sure that our prayers are not simply formality; we need the guidance of God not only to save our nation, but to recapture the spirit of compassion and caring that characterizes our nation. We can't turn on a switch that tells us that we're going to be good and then immediately turn it off. We need a change of heart that comes from God.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/11/12Voter ID Politics

Voter ID politics
BY: Armstrong Williams
Attorney General Eric Holder is on a special campaign against the state of Texas. Why? Because Texas now requires people to display photo identification when they head to the polls to vote. It is hard to understand why the attorney general opposes voter identification, unless the motive is to try any way possible to win the election. People must have an ID to borrow books from the library or drive a car,
why should voting be any different? Giving someone the responsibility to choose who will lead one of the most powerful countries in the world should be valued just as much as having responsibility for a library book or driving a car.
Why has common sense abandoned the Justice department?
In March, the Department of Justice struck down the 2011 Texas Voter ID law because more than 600,000 of the state's registered voters did not have a driver's license or ID card issued by the state's Department of Public Safety.
If that was the case, why didn't the state of Texas provide free voter ID cards to those who did not have a driver's license or other form of identification?
The Justice Department continued to rationalize that providing free state cards from the public safety agency was not enough because 81 of Texas' 254 counties do not have offices to distribute these voter ID cards. They also noted that a disproportional amount of those people without such identification are Latino.
The fact that the Justice department is willing to strike down a law because Texas is not willing to distribute these voter ID cards to those who are legal citizens is unfair. What's even more unfair is the possibility that some of those 600,000 voters currently registered in Texas might not even be legal citizens when they could be taking the place of a legal citizen's right to vote in this country.
It is ridiculous that the Justice Department is willing to turn a blind eye to the blatant issue of voter fraud because the demographics that are affected by the law, regardless of whether they might be legal citizens or not, might just help the majority party's interests.
More importantly, why doesn't the mainstream media criticize the Justice department for something that is so blatantly inappropriate and laughable? Has our society declined to such a level that we would turn a blind eye to ridiculous governmental action on a completely partisan basis? If we have, than our days as a meaningful force in the world are numbered.
If Texas wants to combat voter fraud they should pay attention to those voters without an ID not just to give those who may not have opportunity the opportunity to vote, but also to strike those from the rosters those who should not be voting in the first place.

07/10/12Tax equality for all

Tax equality for all
BY: Armstrong Williams
Yesterday, the Obama administration unveiled their new plan to extend the Bush tax cuts for one year for everyone except the rich. According to the Obama administration, they are the individuals that don't pay their fair share of taxes.
The administration's view is actually quite naive and out of touch with reality.
The truth is, the top 10 percent of taxpayers pay more than 40 percent of all taxes and 50 percent of people pay 97 percent of all the taxes. So if anyone isn't paying their fair share, it's the other 50 percent of the population that only pays 3 percent of the taxes.
Anyone who is being objective can see this gross unfairness when you expect people to pay much larger percentages of their income on a non-proportional basis simply because they have worked hard and earned a substantial amount of money.
You don't expect those who have not been particularly productive to contribute, yet the government wants to give them a hand out. This is not to say that all low-income people are non-productive and lazy; in fact many of them add a great deal to the strength of our society.
I believe many such individuals would welcome an opportunity to contribute financially to the well being of our nation on a fair and proportional basis. In order for a proportionate and fair tax system to work, however, it is vital that the multiple loopholes be extracted. It is high time for us as a nation to stop singling out various groups for special treatment and begin embracing policies that treat everyone equally.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/09/12Desperate for good news that doesn't exist

Desperate for good news that doesn`t exist
BY: Armstrong Williams
I must admit that I am having a difficult time feeling a turn-around in this economy. None of the news about the economy would be considered good news in a normal recovery.
News that normally worries commentators on the economy is viewed through rose-colored lenses as good news. When unemployment does not improve from 8.2 percent, certain commentators consider it good news. When the economy is growing at less than two percent, these same pundits consider that good news. When the federal budget deficit narrows to $1 trillion dollars, liberal commentators also consider this good news.
When the market perceives good news, the Federal Reserve thinks government spending is successful and gets another round of easy money after four years of easy money for failing to stimulate the economy. If this cycle continues, we are in serious trouble. When the European community agrees to bail out failing Spanish banks without a definitive bailout plan and the market reacts positively, there is clearly a dearth of good news. When the headlines of The Wall Street Journal read "Labor market shows signs of improvement" because the private sector added 170,000 jobs, journalists must be desperate for positive economic news.
Instead of trying to create news filled with rosy half-truths just to feed the Federal Reserve’s ego, journalists need to report the facts as they are without sugarcoating them so the Federal Reserve will be compelled to change their ways.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/06/12Andy Griffith: An American Icon

Andy Griffith: An American Icon
BY: Armstrong Williams
Andy Griffith, an iconic American figure, passed away at the age of 86 Tuesday. He may have disappeared, but hopefully what he represented is still alive and well through the legacy he leaves behind.
His character on the Andy Griffith Show as Sheriff Andy Taylor, as well as his real-life character, reminded Americans what America was like at its best and showed that sometimes the best of us was contained in a simpler, rural lifestyle.
The show itself portrayed a simpler time to its viewers amidst the roller-coaster decade of the 1960s. Griffith’s show, and his tough-but-fair-minded character as the sheriff of small-town Mayberry, gave viewers a sense of calm and peace in age marked by wars and violence.
Griffith was perhaps one of the most decent people on television who embodied the 20th-century values Americans cherish the most. He treated everyone fairly and exercised great common sense. He believed in a strong work-ethic and felt that people would respond to fair treatment. He didn't believe in the abuse of power or position and believed strongly in the Judeo-Christian principles that produced a caring and just nation.
Even country singer Randy Travis called Griffith “the most likeable guy he’s ever met.”
Some would say that this is just a created fairy-tale, but I think all of us can remember people as we were growing up who reminded us of Andy Griffith's character. Despite the secular progressive forces in our nation today, Andy Griffith’s full life reminds us of who we were and who we can be.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/05/12Chief Justice Robert's Machiavellian Supreme Play

BY: Armstrong Williams
Chief Justice Robert's Machiavellian Supreme Play
2 By labeling the ACA ‘penalty’ a tax, Roberts has clarified the issue: ACA is a huge, new burden on the middle-class and it is rooted in the most coercive form of federal govt power – the power to tax the people directly. If the American people want federalized healthcare at the price of a huge, new, direct tax, then we conservatives can not save them. Roberts has given us the very best ground on which to fight this battle (and he has locate the battle in the appropriate place, the political realm – would that the jurists in Roe vs. Wade had the same wisdom).
3
Don’t ignore what Roberts did in not only striking down the Medicaid expansion but in getting a 7-2 majority for it: he has circumscribed ACA at its headwaters (or strangled it in its crib if you like) as an overweening, and ‘over-federalized’ mandate on the states. Now the states will retain discretion as to what services they cover, and the federal government’s assumed power to coerce by negation of all funding is ended. This is a huge step in preserving states’ power against the federal government and there are seven – SEVEN – justices who agree.
Actually, the more I think about what Roberts has done the more I like it. It was sophisticated and advanced conservatism along several fronts: judicial restraint; labeling a tax correctly; building a bulwark against future ‘raids on the commerce clause’ and erecting an even higher wall around Federal abuses of federal-state cooperative funding mechanisms. These are all good things, and they will redound to conservatism’s benefit now and in the future.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

07/03/12Supreme Court Always interesting

BY: Armstrong Williams
Supreme Court Always interesting
The Supreme Court never fails to ‘take the third option.’ Don’t be fooled by
the simple-minded “Obama won/Republican lost” rhetoric. What Roberts has done
is categorized Obamacare’s funding mechanism as it should’ve been all along – a
tax. The administration argued strenuously before the court that the individual
mandate was a tax – something well within their power to do; but, they had just
as strenuously – and disingenuously – argued in Congress that this was not the
case. Of course, being a ‘tax’ means a few things:
1) Taxes can be altered by regular legislation (I’d heard Ryan might want
to move to Ways and Means – makes sense now). And, don’t kid yourselves, this
is just round #1. Whatever happened yesterday, we have a long row to hoe on
healthcare’s ultimate disposition. Obamacare’s unaffordable (and the part of
the ruling denying the Feds the right to punish non-participating states by
taking away their Medicaid funding just hastens the “day of unaffordability”).
2) This will also serve as a galvanizing agent for Mr. Norquist and other
R’s, conservatives, and Tea Partiers who are reflexively anti-tax. Ultimately,
that means more political trouble for the POTUS.
Many had the feeling that someone on the conservative wing would “defect.” I
had not thought it would be Roberts, but the more I look at the decision, he may
“have his cake and eat it too.” He will get the usual liberal MSM plaudits for
being “a man of vision” ad nausem (and this is TRULY nauseating….where oh where
will all the follow-up pieces go to the articles by liberals who said a 5-4
decision would be “illegitimate” – that’s EXACTLY what we have, but somehow,
someway they’ll find not illegitimacy, but ‘wisdom’ and ‘virtue’ ….The
disingenuousness makes me throw up), but he will ultimately have created a good
deal of mischief by making the individual mandate a ‘tax.’
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8pm and 4-5am, Monday through
Friday.
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06/28/12Promises vs Reality. A Look at Obamacare

BY: Armstrong Williams
Promises vs Reality. A Look at Obamacare
Americans may recall that President Obama promised “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.” While this mandated coverage in the health care reform legislation was desired by many people who are willing to pay the cost, there were certainly other medical insurance consumers who preferred their lower cost coverage. However, contrary to the President’s assurance, they were not permitted to keep their preferred lower cost health care plans.
The Health Care Reform legislation had a devastating impact on the spending power of working Americans and our economy as the higher premiums kicked in. In order to understand this impact, it is instructive to look at the actual impact of the legislation on a small company. In 2010, this company’s plan cost was approximately $15,000 per year for family health care coverage, of which the company paid 60% and the employee paid 40%. For 2011, the premium for this coverage increased 30% or $4,500. The average non-management employee in this company earns $30,000 per year. The employee’s share of the increased premium cost was $1,800. That is equivalent to a 6% pay cut for the average worker! The legislation did not allow him to keep his old policy at a lower cost.
The unintended consequence of this reduction in spending power on American workers is a shift in spending from non-medical consumption to medical consumption. This translated into a negative impact on spending for consumer items needed to help support the tepid American economic recovery.
The impact of this increased premium on the employer is equally devastating. The employer had to bear $2,700 of the increased premium per employee. That meant the direct cost of his labor increases 7%! If the business has 100 employees, this cost the business $270,000. The increased cost either came out of profits, in which case the employer had less to invest in his business or create additional jobs; or it was passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices, which resulted in less consumption. In addition many employers opted to suffer the government's penalty for choosing not to provide healthcare for their employees, which was actually less expensive. Also those employees that enjoyed their health plan and were promised they could keep them by our president, were obviously not allowed to. In either event, the increased premium costs had a negative impact on the country’s fragile economic recovery.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/27/12Romney is no Reagan, but he will lead our nation to economic recovery

Romney is no Reagan, but he will lead our nation to economic recovery
BY: Armstrong Williams
Many of my colleagues are quietly saying that there was no enthusiasm for Romney early on during the primaries because of his moderate positions on many issues. However, a careful analysis of the situation demonstrates that he may in fact be the most appropriate candidate because of his background at Bain Capital. Hill colleagues selected him as their leader because he fostered a sense of confidence and went on to lead one of the very first successful venture capitalist companies in the world. This is a company that not only recognizes strengths and enhances them, but also recognizes weaknesses and eliminates them if they could not be strengthened or enhanced. Our government now has become as bloated and inefficient as many of the companies Bain had to remake. While critics say that experience in the private sector does not necessarily transfer over to the public sector, our country’s economic situation requires someone who knows the private sector and the public sector equally to balance out the two.
Romney may not be the world's best diplomat or social engineer, but he has has the wisdom and experience of Ronald Reagan to surround himself with people who are. It is possible that we may commence the process of U.S. financial recovery in the not too distant future.
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06/26/12President Obama, a complete failure in the economic sphere

BY: Armstrong Williams
President Obama, a complete failure in the economic sphere
In the modern world, democracy as a form of government has had very limited success outside of the Anglo-Saxon sphere. The French Revolution led to the dictatorship of Napoleon. The Weimar Republic of post-World War I Germany led to Hitler. It is hard to think of a democracy in Latin America that lasted more than a generation. In Asia, other than the countries encompassed in the Anglo-Saxon sphere of influence such as Japan, Singapore, and India, Democracy is all but non-existent. In Africa, democracy has inevitably led to dictatorship. In the Islamic world, one would be hard-pressed to find a country that has been a consistent democracy.
Democracy in the United States, Great Britain, and the rest of the Anglo-Saxon sphere of influence has had certain culture advantages in making democracy work in its societies. These advantages include a culture of free speech, free enterprise, and a long history of evolving self-government. They also had the advantage of not being pure democracies but republics with democratic input. Upper houses, Supreme Courts, and federalism often tempered decisions made by democratic legislative bodies.
In choosing our next president, Americans must consider our greatest battle as the most severe challenge we have ever faced. It is not the war on terror, immigration, or civil rights. Our greatest battle is the longest economic recession since the great depression, four generations ago. In president Obama, we have a failed leader in the economic sphere. Yesterday's Supreme court decision may have given him broad discretion over whom he chooses to deport but will he now grant a blanket exemption to most illegal immigrants. He may be a tremendous orator and an inspiration to the world in other respects, but do you want a continuation of these dismal failed economic policies and empty rhetoric?
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06/25/12Our Government investing for failure

BY: Armstrong Williams
Our Government investing for failure
The State of California is contemplating a bullet train between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The cost is $100 Billions dollars. The U. S. Government is subsidizing a substantial portion of the cost. Under the most optimistic scenario this train will never come close to being cash flow positive. This train will be forever subsidize by the California tax payers. Nevertheless Governor Brown and the Democratic legislature insists on moving forward with the project. For the first leg of the project California must raise (borrow) 10's of billion of dollars for funding. This is in an addition to a huge debt that California must raise to pay its growing government budget deficit.
The Governor of Florida was faced with a similar situation within the last year and wisely saved the Florida taxpayers $10's of billions of dollars by killing the bullet train project between Tampa and Orlando. Liberals stated that when Governor Scott killed the project he would worsen the economic crisis gripping Florida for the rail project would provide needed jobs. To the contrary Florida's unemployment rate has declined.
In today's world if venture capitalist and existing transportation company's will not invest in a transportation project the public sector must be should be skeptical about investing in a project that Venture Capitalist and people in that industry will turn away. You would think the public sector learned it's lessons with Solyndra and the Solar Industry; the thirty year consistent deficits of Amtrak; the perennial subsidies snail mail of the U.S Post Office; and other government subsidize investments gone wild. Taxpayer money should not be used to subsidize projects rejected by professional investors.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/22/12Never confuse intelligence with education

Never confuse intelligence with education
BY: Armstrong Williams
There are many people who don't have much formal education, yet they are extremely intelligent and possess great wisdom. On the other hand, there are those with a high degree of formal education who manifest little or no ability to make wise decisions. Most people are familiar with parents or other people in their lives who had little or no formal education.
Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president, had only one year of formal education throughout his life. However, he found every opportunity to educate himself despite his disadvantaged upbringing in the backwoods of Kentucky.
He went on to become a country lawyer, legislator, skilled orator, and one of the greatest Republican presidents of all time. He unified a nation, ended civil war, and pushed for an end to slavery.
.
Lincoln and many others like him were highly successful because they had a basic understanding of how things work. This is also known as common sense. Common sense has nothing to do with a formal education. Common sense, for instance, would dictate that if you have no money, you stop spending.
This is a concept which seems foreign to many of our leaders today. Take President Obama, for example. He has degrees from Columbia and Harvard, yet he continues to make decisions that are destructive not only to the unity of the country but to its prosperity.
Although his left-wing supporters continue to be enamored by his "intellect," his policies consistently challenge the Constitutional foundation of the greatest nation in the history of the world.
What great intellect would stimulate bitter class warfare or preside over the deepest and longest recession in the history of our nation? Anyone who believes that these are manifestations of great intellect may themselves be endowed with prestigious educational degrees, but clearly they are lacking in analytical skills.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/21/12From Invisible people to Victimized people

From Invisible people to Victimized people?
BY: Armstrong Williams
To this day, many black officeholders depend on the perception of on-going, widespread racism in order to remain competitive in the electoral process. They underplay the dramatic improvements in economic and social status experienced by many American blacks over the last 40 years. Large numbers of their constituents, particularly those who came to age during the overt racism of the past half century, continue to believe that the problems confronting the black lower class stem primarily from racism.
Here lies the greatest missed opportunity of the civil rights movement. These leaders never prepared for the day when God would change the hearts of the white establishment and they would have no choice but to start treating their brother with equality, fairness, and justice under the law. Their entire public image, their very legitimacy as political and cultural spokespersons--was predicated on the rhetoric of a black versus white war. As Justice Clarence Thomas once observed, the [civil rights] revolution missed a larger point by merely changing the status [of minorities] from invisible people to victimized people.
Not only do many black officeholders need to reinvent their public image to keep up with the times, but they also need to promote a cultural shift that will trickle down to their constituents.
A second cultural shift also needs to come from the public to hold these black officeholders accountable. These officeholders need to truly represent and advocate the economic and social interests best for the people. Otherwise, all they are doing is manipulating the trust of the people with baseless racism and continued balkanazation of our nation.
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06/20/12A first-rate politician with calculated future risk

A first-rate politician with calculated future risk.
BY: Armstrong Williams
Obama's recent declaration of his new immigration deportation policy may not be legal, but it is certainly a home run in the realm of political maneuvering. This man is one of the best and most ruthless politicians we have witnessed in modern politics. This is the very reason he occupies the oval office. The president knew that Senator Rubio was making tremendous progress in a bipartisan fashion with this very issue of immigration reform. Rubio has said repeatedly that he wants to cast the GOP as the party of legal immigration, even as he has warned other Republicans that their rhetoric is hurting the party’s efforts to reach out to Hispanic voters.
He also knew that it was critical for him to completely shore up his Hispanic vote while blind-siding Rubio and the GOP. He therefore calculated that by stealing Rubio's thunder and game plan, he would once again become the hero to the Latino community. It is likely for many that this was a correct calculation and testimony to the president's political savvy. The GOP does not have a response because they cannot respond without appearing to be insensitive and xenophobic. It is clear that we have a first-rate politician as the leader of our nation. The real question is in these very challenging economic times, do we need a politician or a statesman with principles?
These are extraordinary times that we've living in and not politics as usual. The outcome of the fall elections will determine whether American society remains independent and in a leadership position or if we become more like our European neighbors with no thoughts of exceptional ism. Most people who are over the age of 40 will remember growing up feeling surprised as they learn about our nation, it's values, principles, and what we had accomplished. Younger generations have been deluge with images of our incompetence and greed. They don't share a sense of pride and glowing respect about the most powerful and compassion nation the world has ever known. Not only are we losing our own self respect but the world is losing a powerful deterrent to the forces of evil. It's not too late to change our course and prayerfully "we the people" and the main stream media will soon come to understand the implications of the choices we are making.
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06/19/12Time Magazine immigration manipulation

Time magazine immigration manipulation
BY: Armstrong Williams
The recent cover of Time Magazine depicts multiple ethnic identities under the title "We are Americans, just not Legal." It is not surprising to see the liberal media join the Obama administration in an attempt to demonize those who would question the legality of any potential voter. Make no mistake this is all about voting in the November 2012 presidential election. It is more than complimentary to the efforts of the Justice Department to do away with any requirements for voter identification. This is not to say that our nation should shun immigrants, quite to the contrary. We are a nation of immigrants but we are a nation of legal immigrants and all must respect the rule of law in this nation. When we do not, we degenerate into chaos. If we are objective and fair, we must admit that many illegal immigrants perform jobs that most Americans are unwilling to do. If all these immigrants disappeared, it would put a significant strain on our way of life. Therefore, they are important to our economy. What are the solutions to this perceived dilemma? We must establish a guest worker program which will allow immigrants to work, pay taxes, and return home. This would be an open-door policy that is beneficial to everyone. The Canadians have a similar program called the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which aims to fill immediate shortages in skill and labor.
Another solution would be to decrease the amount of public assistance handouts to the people. This solution may seem harsh, but it is pragmatic, because people would be hungry enough to take those jobs themselves. If people actually had to work to live, the amount of industry and creativity that would come as a result would be amazing. It is also quite possible to combine both solutions to create a rapid, fair solution to a very persistent problem.
If we implemented these logical common sense solutions, there would be less government money spent on trying to keep a necessary workforce out and more return on our supply of labor.
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06/18/12Avoiding financial ruin

BY: Armstrong Williams
Avoiding financial ruin
It's encouraging to see that the citizens of Greece have a modicum of common sense and voted to remain within a system that imposes financial restraint and austerity. Even some of the most hard core socialist are coming to understand that you can't continue spending what you don't have without severe financial consequences. The real question is will we in America learn any lessons from the Greek or European financial collapse or will we inexorably continue down a similar path expecting a different result? The definition of insanity is doing the same ineffective thing over and over while expecting a different result. We could not ask for a more timely example of the result of unfettered spending. If we are willing to immediately begin to examine ways to control our unprecedented spending, it is not to late to save our nation from bankruptcy. In recent weeks president Obama has indicated that our economic problem are not that severe and we only simply need to double down on our spending in the right places. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand quickly where that school of thought would lead our nation. Does our best hope lie in electing former Governor Mitt Romney? Should the Senate switch to Republican hands and the House will remain as is in the November elections to give us our best chance to get spending under control before it's too late? Historically optimal legislation has not occurred when the White house, Senate, and House are in the hands of the same party. However in the current obstructionist environment does this appear to be the lesser of the evils when compared with the alternative of financial ruin?
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06/15/12Country is long overdue for some good news

Country is long overdue for some good news
BY: Armstrong Williams
This country is long overdue for some very good long-term news. This country wants to see a positive change from Wall Street and elected officials across the nation. Our president, Congress, and nationally elected leaders can help usher in this necessary positive outcome if they stop the lying, greed, selfishness, and blame-game. Instead of trying to blame each other for the recession by pointing out their “flawed words” to describe the economy, they need to set examples for real change.
Our leaders know exactly what is necessary for a strong economy. They need to set an absolute example and strive to do moral good in our nation. It is time that they do something for the people that elected and entrusted them with the reins of power in our federal and state governments over their own interests.
They need to make the hard choices and the necessary shared sacrifices to return our once great nation to the pinnacle of moral and economic success. Our nation cannot have true, long-lasting economic success without moral good and reverence for our creator. The time for change is now!
We should be one nation united under God, not a divided nation without moral direction.
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06/14/12Excising politics from healthcare

Excising politics from healthcare
BY: Armstrong Williams
The GOP cannot spend time discussing the possible overturn of Obamacare without offering a reasonable alternative. It should be quite apparent that we are in dire need of healthcare reform, particularly as our population ages. To simply denigrate Obamacare without providing a road map that leads to a much needed solution would be irresponsible and politically detrimental. They need to put together a group of people who actually know something about healthcare. They can start by looking back at the recommendations the President's Council on Bioethics under President Bush put together.
The council spent valuable time and effort to devise bipartisan solutions for healthcare reform and favored discussion open to opposing views over shared consensus.
President Obama completely disregarded these suggestions when he shut down the President’s Council on Bioethics, just as he ignored the economic advice of the Simpson-Bowles committee.
The purpose of a bioethics council would be to continue to find practices which would protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There are not always clear answers as to what will be best for the common good, but to have a council with differing opinions and healthy dialogue can only help in the search for the true and best practices.
If Mitt Romney wants to revolutionize healthcare in this country, he needs to understand that there are logical solutions that are not politically driven that can place us on the path to a healthy nation without bankrupting our society.
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06/13/12Increased money supply funding government spending

BY: Armstrong Williams
Increased money supply funding government spending
Many will tell you that it is not taxation but debt that is financing the government spending; thus it is not crowding out private spending. I maintain that government debt crowds out private borrowing and investment. Many of my anti-capitalist colleagues say that government spending is not crowding out private investment because interest rates are low. Therefore there is plenty of money to finance private investment. Unfortunately, in an attempt to protect depositors, and the government guarantee of such deposits, the bank regulators have increased the credit underwriting requirements on banks. Consequently, they are not lending to small and medium sized businesses.
Interest rates are low because the Fed is printing money and as a result significantly increasing the money supply thereby making money less expensive. The irony of artificially low interest rates is that it reduces the income of pensioners and savers. This in effect shifts money and consumption from savers and transfers it to the government who is borrowing at artificially low rates.
The business community realizes that the increased money supply is financing government spending and the private sector must eventually pay the piper. Consequently, the business community is not investing as much as it might because it is concerned about inflation and higher future taxes to pay for the borrowing. Since business investment takes time for a return, the business man making an investment now expecting a return 2 or 3 years from now knows that his taxes are going to be increased with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and the 3.8% new Obama care tax on unearned earnings. Thus the businessman is not investing today because he knows his return is being significantly reduced 2 years from now.
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06/12/12The financial alarm bell is ringing

The financial alarm bell is ringing
BY: Armstrong Williams
Spain has requested and received a $126 billion bailout to become the largest country in the European Union to receive a bailout in this two-and-a-half-year long economic crisis. For now, they can breathe a temporary sigh of relief. The key word, however, is temporary, because no significant structural changes have been made to their financial philosophy and their actions have not changed. Just because the European government put pressure on Spain to agree to an aid package ahead of the Greek elections June 17 does not mean that the financial crisis is resolved. In fact, with the upcoming June 17 elections, this entire situation means that we will return to this beast of a financial disaster again after kicking the can down the road. Because the world is now very much interconnected financially, the problems of Spain ultimately impact Europe and the United States. Moreover, the Greek elections on June 17 could send a new wave of turmoil not just through regional financial markets but through global financial markets as well.
Although we fear the ultimate financial consequence of a collapse of the European financial system, it isn't too late to learn some significant lessons about waiting to deal with massive financial problems. We know that our system of entitlement will eventually bankrupt the United States and that the consequences will be catastrophic throughout the world. Why are we refusing to take meaningful financial actions for fear of the political consequences? The alarm bell is ringing loud and clear. The question is when will we awaken and finally answer?
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/11/12A blind economic dogma

BY: Armstrong Williams
A blind economic dogma
Can you believe President Obama said this at a press conference last week?
“The private sector is doing fine,” the president said during his Friday morning White House press conference. “Where we're seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government. … If Republicans want to be helpful, if they really want to move forward and put people back to work, what they should be thinking about is how do we help state and local governments.” What is most telling about his statement is the President's blind dogma when it comes to economic growth: government enterprise is better than private enterprise. Why else would this president say the private sector has created enough jobs ? This makes absolutely no sense and is just down right frightening coming from the leader of the world's largest economy.
The President hasn't changed his mind set when it comes fiscal austerity. Just recently, regarding the European Union he called for more - not less- government spending, a recipe for a continental breakdown of the economy. This is a set of 19 countries on the verge of economic collapse that requires U.S. leadership and a U.S. example and he fails on both counts. He's probably the only person in America that would continue reaching these insane and out of touch conclusion. Where are the President's economic advisers? Who is advising that these are good ideas?
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/06/12Harbinger of things to come

BY: Armstrong Williams
Harbinger of things to come
It's refreshing to see the common sense retained by the voters of Wisconsin who recognized that there state was sailing off the figurative cliff. Hopefully this is a sign that American's in general are beginning to awaken from there deep sleep to the reality of the consequences of fiscal irresponsibility. Even the least economic sophisticated individual should understand that if you continue spending what you don't have you will eventually bankrupt yourself. This is true on a personal, state, national, and global level. There is little doubt that our nation with suffer the same consequences as Greece and other's unless we find a reasonable way to reduce spending. Governor Scott Walker has manifested a characteristic that is largely missing in today's politicians within both parties, and that is courage. Everyone clearly knows what must be done but few are willing to place themselves at political risk for the sake of our nation. Governor Walker's risk taking was rewarded and hopefully is a harbinger of things to come in November.

06/04/12Destructive Regulatory Environment

BY: Armstrong Williams
Destructive Regulatory Environment
Given their prevailing 20th century mentality and saddled with new and burdensome regulations, banks have little incentive to develop affordable credit options to serve the needs of millions of American consumers. I’m not talking about the Warren Buffets of the world; I’m talking about people who wake-up everyday worried about the future-which unfortunately accounts for most of us. A report released by the Corporation for Enterprise Development found that 127.5 million people are liquid-asset poor, meaning that a sudden loss in household income would leave them below the poverty line in just three months.
Real progress lies in old-fashioned entrepreneurship; this is the same kind of innovation that took us from a rotary-dial land line to a cell phone and from analog television to digital cable. Emerging technology in the non-bank financial space is a natural progression from a bank-centered economic system. Yet, qualified trend setters are stymied by a regulatory environment resistant to business models other than traditional banks. Marketplace innovations are unduly restricted by an antiquated financial system that has failed to keep up with the changing demands of consumers. The government needs to realize that like AT&T, national bank giants eventually need to be broken up and weaned off heavy government subsidies. That way, other competitors in the marketplace can spur innovation in consumer finance without having to worry about too much government regulation.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

06/01/12Less Government, Better American Education

BY: Armstrong Williams
Less Government, better Education in America
The Federal Government should stay out of elementary and secondary education. Education is best decided by students and their parents. Students should have a choice of schools. Parents and students are best able to determine what work's best for them and not bureaucrats sitting in their Washington, DC Ivory Tower. If the Federal Government insists on meddling in school policy it should promote school choice, whether through vouchers, charter schools, and any other creative method devised at the local level.
Just like you don't need a weatherman to tell you that it's raining, you don't need to have a PHD in education to know that your child is not performing well in school.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/31/12Tax Refugees

BY: Armstrong Williams
Tax Refugees
The Liberals are kidding themselves if they think high state income taxes have no impact on their economy. The Big Apple better known around the world as New York is a case and point. NY which has the second highest tax rate in the nation had the largest exodus of it's residence over the past decade. It had the distinction of losing two congressional seats in the most recent reapportionment. Where did NY residents go? The largest number went to Florida where there are no income and death taxes. Not coincidentally Florida picked up an additional two congressional seats along with 600,000 new residents. California is another state with a large exodus of residence fleeing high taxes to low tax states like Nevada and Texas. The true impact of this net migration, is that these tax refugees take ten's of billions of dollars with them when they flee. This has a major negative impact on growth, employment, and government revenues. Politicians who want higher taxes ignore the negative impact of this mass exodus at their own peril. Unfortunately this impact devastates the remaining tax payers who are left to support state unions bureaucrats and politicians who feed from the public trough.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/30/12The Fiscal Cliff

BY: Armstrong Williams
The fiscal cliff
The payroll tax is an implicit forced savings for most Americans. The purpose of these taxes is to give Americans minimum pensions and medical care in retirement. By cutting the tax we are cutting savings , which make future retirees benefits less certain. The government has essentially encouraged Americans to consume more for the present rather than saving for their future well being.
The Bush tax cuts should be extended indefinitely for all income groups. Eliminating the Bush tax cuts has the negative impact of shifting from the private sector to the public sector. The private sector is almost always more efficient at spending the people's money than the public sector. To make the government more fiscally responsible with tax payers money the Congress must embark on a serious program to reduce government spending and reform entitlement spending. Future Social security insolvency can be solved by increasing the number of years people work. Medicare insolvency can be resolved by limiting the amount of money spent in the last six months of life. All Americans are aware of the excess and unnecessary spending by our federal government, such as GSA trips to Las Vegas.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/29/12Investment vs Consumption

BY: Armstrong Williams
Investment vs Consumption
To understand the investment value or lack thereof for a home, it is necessary to differentiate between an appreciable and depreciable asset. An appreciable asset increases value over time and a depreciable asset declines in value. The house you own and live in depreciates over time unless you maintain it. The annual expenses for maintaining a home ranges from 5- 10 % of the value. Real estate taxes are 2-3%, insurance can be 1%, utilities and heat can be 2%, annual maintenance such as painting, plumbing, gardening, and recurring repairs can be anywhere from 2-5%. If the cost of maintaining your home is 10% yearly, the increase in value annually must exceed 10% per annum in order for it to qualify as an appreciable asset. This level of appreciation has rarely been seen in the past and is not expected in our future. Therefore a home is really a consumption item.
If you purchase a home for $300,000.00 you must spend approximately $30,000 yearly to maintain it. If you were to invest the $300,000.00 in the stock market over time you would receive an annual rate of return of 7% or $24,000 yearly. From this obvious scenario you would be $54,000.00 a year richer. You could use that $54,000.00 to rent a more modest home because you must spend something for living expenses.
This is not to discourage anyone from purchasing a home. You must recognize that a home is a consumption item and not an investment.
Because home ownership is part of the American dream, our government has distorted the calculation of the rate of return by imposing tax incentives and subsidize mortgages for home ownership. These tax incentives have encouraged people to buy bigger homes and has increased the price of housing over time. This government interference of the housing market has created the illusion that homes are investments. This is clearly another example of how our congressional leaders use government power to enhance their political position at the detrimental expense of the American people.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/25/12Memorial Day Appreciation

Memorial Day Appreciation.
BY: Armstrong Williams
Have you ever stopped to think about the many that sacrificed their lives in order to give us the blessings of boundless freedom we enjoy? This weekend we should reflect on the sacrifices that many continue to make in providing us with that enviable freedom.
It sometime does us good to pause and think about all the blessings that we continue to have in our lives. We live in a country where significant freedom for the individual still exist. We can freely move from one state to the next, change our jobs, buy whatever we can and cannot afford without having to obtain permission. If you are able to walk about and enjoy good health, that is an amazing gift that is often over looked until you're on your sick bed. Many of these blessings that we take for granted are not enjoyed by people in other parts of the world, including the luxury of being able to choose our leaders and having significant changes in philosophical leadership in a bloodless manner. This is not to say that we don't have serious problems, but if we all begin to make ourselves aware of the good that continues and work together to improve upon our situation, the bright star of America will continue to rise.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/23/12President Obama's skin color should never be the issue

BY: Armstrong Williams
President Obama's skin color should never be the issue.
When it comes to those American whites who are uncomfortable with a black president, there has been no shortgage of racial distortion either. Some have tried to use Obama's skin color and Muslim name to prey upon the fears of a white electorate that has seen its economic prosperity plummet amid an overall decline in America's global influence. Others have even gone so far as to question his citizenship and his birthright. Still others have deliberately misconstrued his political philosophy in a racially tinged manner---asserting that he's an African anti colonial revolutionary.
While it is fine to disagree with the president's policies, to suggest that his political failures have to do with his race is just plain wrong. The sentiment of disdain voiced by some dissenters about "young black president" ignores the fact that it took a majority of white voters---including disillusioned supporters of the previous administration--to elect him. The broader community should let Obama rise and fall on his own merits, and not make this a litmus test about the fitness of a certain race to lead the country.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/21/12Resentment against achievement

BY: Armstrong Williams
Resentment against achievement
If president Obama cared about government fairness rather than the mysterious decisions of Providence, if he actually cared about equal protection under the law rather than under God, he would support a flat tax, like Steve Forbes and Governor Rick Perry. This is not a difficult concept to understand: everyone should play by the same rules and pay the same rate.
Ah, but here comes the objection to the Heavens: but it’s not fair that certain people have and make more money than others! Well, they pay from a higher principle, for one thing, and for another, how exactly does one decide what is a “fair” rate? Why does the Buffett Rule push for 30%? Where did they get this number? Are only Harvard Law graduates qualified to make this judgment, or is the Oracle from Omaha a real oracle?
The brilliant libertarian Peter Thiel (check) visited an Occupy Wall Street encampment, and asked a woman how much of his income it would be fair for him to pay in taxes each year. She was baffled by this questions, and simply spouted Democrat talking points. “I think the Bush tax cuts should be allowed to expire. I am against the Bush tax cuts.” But she had no alternative proposal, no ideal toward which she and other progressives were progressing. All she had was envy.
And that's all president Obama has to offer us.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/17/12A Polarizing White House

BY: Armstrong Williams
A polarizing White House
VP Joe Biden indicated in a passionate speech yesterday that the American dream was dying (Obama was elected President) for those not born with a silver spoon in their mouth. It is difficult to understand how he has arrived at such conclusions. In fact there are many hard working Americans that despite the difficult economic times, are finding ways to be successful and productive. By stirring up doubt Biden hopes to also create resentment towards those that have achieved success, in an attempt to strengthen the political positions of his party. During the great depression the leaders of our nation attempted to provide hope and encouragement, for they understood that a person with hope and confidence is much more likely to be successful than a person who is discouraged and angry. Let us hope that someone can get this message to Vice- President Joe Biden and his cronies.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/15/12Government, Fix God's mistakes

BY: Armstrong Williams
Democrats take their complaints with God to the altar of government. To say that it is not “fair” that someone live in poverty while others are wealthy, or, to use a more melodramatic example from Nancy Pelosi, that “women die on the floor,” is a complaint to God; it is to ask for a theodicy. Why is there evil in the world? Surely the government didn’t invent it; surely the government didn’t create poverty (though with policies like President Obama’s, it spreads it copiously); surely the government didn’t create death. Yet liberals immediately claim that it is the government’s job to right every wrong in the world, to either fix God’s mistakes or, in the case of sexual sins, to apologize for humanity’s.
Read Armstrong Williams, author of the brand new book Reawakening Virtues, content on RightSideWire.com and Come join the discussion live 4-5, 6-8 p.m. est at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m est on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 128, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. est, 6-7 p.m. D.C. a.m. 730 WTNT, 7-8 p.m. WGNU a.m. 920 St Louis . Become a fan on FaceBook, and follow him on Twitter

05/14/12Free Will

BY: Armstrong Williams
Free Will
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On the issue of same sex marriage reasonable people can agree that any two consenting adults can have relationships in which they can live together, sleep together, eat and do whatever they wish together: this is a free society in which free will is granted to us by our creator . However, by simply doing these things, they do not get to redefine a foundational institution like marriage. If we begin to redefine the very pillars of our society based on political expediency, there soon won’t be anything left to redefine. We must return principles and values to our society which includes being kind and respectful to everyone while not changing who we are.
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8pm and 4-5am, Monday through Friday.
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